Back to the Drawing Board
by Ausrine
Summary: 3 yrs after departure the world has basically ended ahead of schedule. Liz is still alive & she forms a plan to go back in time to try & correct what went wrong, but it all goes bad as the Grenolith is about to send her back & she ends up in the wrong tim
1. You've got to be kidding me!

Back to the Drawing Board  
  
Author: Midnight Magi (aka Bex)  
  
Email: Bex_Bridge@hotmail.com  
  
Website: www.indagator.co.uk  
  
Distribution: Ask me first. I want to know where it's going.  
  
Category: M/L , I'm a pure Dreamer.  
  
Rating: PG 13 to R (depends on the chapter)  
  
Disclaimer: Believe me, if I owned Roswell there would be a clause in Jason Behr's contract saying his got to perform carnal acts of sexual pleasure with me. [pic] But since I don't own Roswell, no such contract yet exists.  
  
Author's Note: Ok, this fic is AU-ish and yet not AU, it's also a future fic that ends up not being a future fic. (if you read the first chapter or the summary that last sentence will actually make sense.) Also I'm from the UK, so I'm using English spellings for words.  
  
Summary: This fic starts out 3 years after departure and the world has basically ended ahead of schedule, with only Liz still alive. She forms a plan to go back in time to try and correct what went wrong while she still can, but it all goes bad as the Grenolith is about to send her back and she ends up in the wrong time and place, trapped in her former-self's body permanently. (if you read the first chapter, the summary may also may make sense. Also if you ever wondered what a sexually tormented Max would be like then get ready for the later chapters.)  
  
:- )  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Dark clouds block out almost all the light that should be coming from the noon sun, the rumbling earth shakes beneath my feet and I almost lose my footing on the rocks and tumble. My body aches, underneath all the dirt on my skin are blue-purplish bruises. My blood soaked clothing sticks to my skin as I run and the worst thing about it all is that most of the blood isn't even mine.  
  
Adrenaline is flowing freely in my veins as I try to make it to my destination before my body gives out. A great explosion in the distance goes off signifying that 'they' have finally destroyed the town of Roswell, the place I once called home. If I had any tears left I might spill some, but now is not the time, to much is depending on me, the weight of the world has once again been thrown onto my shoulders against my will.  
  
Maria's screams of pain still echo in my mind from a few hours ago as 'they' killed her, I can't rid myself of the image of her body laid in front of me, my last friend that still lived. It's her blood that I'm covered in and I was unable to save them, to save any of them. How could things have gone so wrong because of what I did, I tried to protect them all by pushing Max away and into Tess's arms, but the world has been destroyed none the less. After that day we found out Tess was a traitor and then Max announced he was going to save his son I thought everything had reached rock bottom, I could never of imagined how wrong I was. Things got so much worse, the Max I once knew was gone, he became obsessed with trying to get his son back, and ended up drifting even farther away from us, blaming himself for everything that had happened. Never once in the last 4 years of his life did he find his son or his peace.  
  
A noise coming from the bottom of the rock formation startles me out of my memories. "Damn it, there not to far behind me."  
  
I speed up my pace and make it to the pod chambers entrance. Using the little amount of energy that still remains in my body I activate the handprint to let me in. If it hadn't been for Ava returning a few months after Tess left I might never of found out how much my body had been changed when Max healed me and would never of been able to learn how access these kick ass powers of mine. Ok, so they might not be anywhere near as powerful as any of the others, but there still mine and have saved my neck more than once when the people I trusted abandoned me and left me to face dangers on my own, again.  
  
The bitterness of my own thoughts has been one of my main sources of strength for so long that I can't remember thinking in any other manner. It gives me focus and helps me forget the physical pain my body is in as I stumble through the pod chamber to where the grenolith stands. Hurrying with my task of activating it and setting the correct time, date and place was tricky, because I had to think when was the moment in time that everything truly started to unravel into chaos. That was the moment I have to go back to, to change and I had to make sure I followed Serena's instructions perfectly, if so much as one slight variable is off in my calculations I'm royally screwed.  
  
The thing I most want to stop from happening, the thing I would most want to change, the thing as far as I'm concerned is never going to happen is Max fucking that cheap blond mini bitch.  
  
I'll go to the observatory just before Max arrives on that fateful night, take care of Tess in my own special way that I have been planning 'they'll never even find a body'. Then when Max finally comes into the observatory I'm going to shove some damn common sense down his egotistical pig headed throat. Telling him things that will happen in his possible future that should in any hope induce a nightmarish state of mind, knocking his brains out of their high obit and back down to earth would probably be a good idea as well. I still remember the day we found out that Tess had never even left earth and that the whole blasting off into space had been nothing but a mindwarp, it was at that point that the whole group became truly divided, the rifts being far to large to heal.  
  
Seeing that the grenolith is now fully activated and locked in to it's co- ordinates I go closer to it and allow it to merge me inside. Things are strange and blurred, it's as if I was back in my mother's womb, a warm floating sensation envelops me. As I finally focus on the things I can still see in the chamber and I realise someone's standing there, shouting at me in a rage, but I can't hear him.  
  
As he comes closer to the grenolith trying to stop it's progress I realise that it's Nicolas, and boy does he look pissed. A smug smile comes over my face, or maybe it's a sneer, whatever way his too late, it's too far into the process to stop it now.  
  
Then I realise he is using his powers to try and do something to the grenolith, all of a sudden the calm that I was surrounding me is gone and I can feel pain seeping back into my bones. It feels like my flesh is being boiled and sharp knives are cutting me from the inside, this is even worse than my original pain. I realise that something now is seriously wrong and there's nothing I can do to stop it.  
  
A burning bright light engulfs me and every cell in my body feels like it's on fire I can vaguely make out the shape of Nicholas standing outside the grenolith watching me. 'How could I of failed to save the world again! I was so close to making it all right again.'  
Nicholas's POV  
  
The bright light coming from the grenolith is blinding, I can't even see her form any more. Suddenly a crack appears in the cone and another, then in one almighty crash the grenolith shatters and the light fades.  
  
'Finally' I whisper to myself as I see the charcoal black corpse of the former Liz Parker lying on the floor in the chamber room. A dark satisfaction fills me now my work here is done and I turn to leave not bothering to even take a second glance at her burnt crisp body.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A void,  
  
A black void is all that my mind can comprehend.  
  
I vaguely remember being in pain, but it evaporated around me.  
  
'Where am I?'  
  
I feel so dizzy, like everything's spinning and yet nothing is moving.  
  
There's some strange noise in the distance, it's so faint. It's a voice I think.  
  
A coolness is pressed against my cheek, that's hard and uncomfortable.  
  
The voice seems to be getting clearer, it's shouting something in a shrilled high-pitched tone. I wish it would stop so that I could rest here in peace.  
  
"LIZ!"  
  
'Damn, why can't whoever it is be quite. Wait, Liz, that's my name, someone's calling me.' I slowly open my eye's, everything seems so big around me until I realise I'm lying on a cold tiled floor and there are people all round me.  
  
"LIZ, Chica, Oh Thank God, she's waking up!!!"  
  
Who ever it is that's shrieking down my ear hole is really going to regret if they don't shut up soon.  
  
Someone is crouching over me shaking my side.  
  
"Lemme alone!" I say harshly.  
  
"Liz, are you alright? What happened? Never do that to me again do you hear, you nearly scared me half to death with that stunt."  
  
I force my body in to a sitting position and look around. It's then I realise I'm in the Crashdown. 'That's not possible, the Crashdown was destroyed 2 years ago.' Looking at the people around me I see that it was Maria that was crouching over me shouting. 'This isn't possible, she's dead, she's dead.'  
  
"What the hell is going on?" I say to myself, but said it aloud accidentally, looking around at everyone in shock. 


	2. The Game Begins

Previously:  
  
"Liz, are you alright? What happened? Never do that to me again do you hear, you nearly scared me half to death with that stunt."  
  
I force my body in to a sitting position and look around. It's then I realise I'm in the Crashdown. 'That's not possible, the Crashdown was destroyed 2 years ago.' Looking at the people around me I see that it was Maria that was crouching over me, shouting. 'This isn't possible, she's dead, she's dead.'  
  
"What the hell is going on?" I say to myself, but said it aloud accidentally, looking around at everyone in shock.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~  
  
Part 2  
  
  
  
"What's going on? I'll tell you what's going on! In mid sentence of taking some poor old ladies order you pass out. Kurplut! Straight down on the floor and wouldn't even wake up, I got Alex to dial 911 and everything, you better not do that again or else you'll be paying for the gallon of Cedar oil I'll need." I groan at hearing Maria's little speech, it's the last thing I want to hear right now. I forgot how annoying and flaky she truly is, I've traveled from one hell on earth to another in what seems like a few seconds, that must be a record somewhere.  
  
She whips out her cedar oil from her pocket and beings to sniff it and looks down at me, stopping in mid whiff she shoves the oil in front of my face.  
  
"Second thoughts, I think you need this more than me right now. Are you alright chica, I was really worried for a second there." For a moment I could swear I was seeing genuine concern in her eyes for me. Snapping out of it I roughly push her hand with the cedar oil in it away from my face despising it's sent.  
  
"I'll be just fine if you get that stench away from and never again screech at me like a banshee!" I snap at her and almost regret saying it when I see her suddenly move backwards with a hurt in her eyes like I just hit her or something.  
  
Before she could voice whatever was going through that peanut brain of hers or any of the gawking bystanders for that matter, someone comes through the crowd rushing towards me enveloping me in a hug. That's the second time now that someone has invaded my person space within so many minutes.  
  
"Liz, sweetheart, are you ok?" Nancy's voice was filled with distress.  
  
'Great, now I've got to deal with the parental unit as well. I've got to get away from all these people so I can figure out what the hell happened to me.'  
  
"I'm fine. mum. I just got a bit dizzy there for a second and fell." Seeing that she wasn't going to settle for that I continued on before she had a chance to speak.  
  
"I've been so busy today that I really haven't had a chance to eat anything." Which wasn't a complete lie, since according to my memory in the last 24 hours I hadn't had so much as a nibble to eat.  
  
Observing that her questioning gaze was now gone, I detangle her from myself and stood up straitening my uniform. Realising suddenly to my horror what it is I'm once again wearing, a tacky themed nightmare of a costume, with springy alien antenna. 'That settles it, I've got to get out of here NOW!'  
  
Drifting back out of my thoughts I start to focus on what it is my mothers jabbering on about.  
  
"Liz, you are working way to hard, you're to much of a perfectionist, that's the problem. I told you cut down on some things, but you didn't listen and now look what's happened."  
  
I inwardly think of a retort that I was about to say, which would of probably gotten me grounded for a week if I hadn't caught my tongue in time.  
  
Sucking in a breath and putting on my honest face I answer in my best sweet little girl voice.  
  
"Your right mum, I really should cut back, I've been doing far to many things lately and like juggling balls I knew that they would all come falling down around me sooner or later. I was just hopping that it would end up being later is all."  
  
Looking right at her with doe eye's I murmur. "I would really like to just go lie down right now and have something to drink."  
  
Full maternal mode kicking in I see she visibly relaxes, buying my routine hook, line and sinker. "Oh dear, of course, you take the rest of the day off, and since tomorrows Saturday if your still not feeling well I'm sure Maria wouldn't mind filling in for you. You go up stairs and lay down, I'll bring you up something in a few minutes."  
  
"Thanks mum." I say in an almost chirpy voice and walk off in to the backroom that leads upstairs to the apartment. For a split second I catch the look on Maria's face as I pass her. 'Damn it, that girl knows me to well, I don't think she bought it. Oh well, as if it matters, she can't prove it any differently.'  
  
With that final thought I head up to my room to figure out what the hell has happened to me.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~  
  
Everything seems so out of place yet still where it belongs. Standing in my room looking at all my old things is like walking into a memory of mine and not being able to get out. Closing the door behind me I go straight to the calendar that's hanging over my desk.  
  
"Shit!" I mumble allowed. 'I really screwed up somewhere down the line here or more correctly that half pint brat Nicolas screwed it up for me.'  
  
The calendars current date is marked 5 days before the shooting takes place since I got shot on the 18th of September. 'Damn it, so much for busting in on Max and Tess in the observatory before they fuck. The little gerbil won't even be showing her face here yet for months.'  
  
Feeling my sweet revenge plans slowly go down the plug hole an odd relief fills me as I realise I can shape destiny in any way I want now. The only way Michael was able to contact Nasado in the first place and bring Tess with him was because Max and I had found all that alien junk of theirs. Change that and I could stop them from ever arriving or at least at best delay them while I work on a new plan.  
  
Tess would be easy enough to kill, but Nasado, his to much like a cockroach, can never truly get rid of them once there here.  
  
Walking over to the mirror I cringe at what I see. A short girl in a shoddy themed waitress uniform 'yuck'. Quickly unbuttoning it and stepping out of the thing I leave it crumpled on the floor and then grabbing those damn springy antenna I fling them across the room not bothering to see where they fall.  
  
Looking back at my reflection in the mirror I am none to pleased to see that the 16 year old girl looking back at me doesn't really look any better than she did with the uniform on. My long dark brown hair that was down to my bust line is now shoulder length and my bust has seemed to decrees by two cup sizes.  
  
'Why did I have to be one of those late bloomers?' Shaking my in disgust I walk to the wardrobe to find something to wear.  
  
'Ok, so what happened to me? I set one time and place and ended up in another due to something Nicolas did. Think girl, what did Serena tell you in the prison camp about how the granolith works?'  
  
'One thing she made clear was once the process was fully started no power could stop it and if she knew that Nicolas must of known it to.'  
  
Leaning against the wardrobe door it suddenly hits me what that little midget must of done. 'He knew he couldn't stop it, and he knew I had set in a time and place to go to too stop the war from ever reaching earth. Just because he couldn't stop the process doesn't mean he couldn't somehow change the coordinates that I had set.'  
  
'He must of done something to over load granolith, that's why the bright light and pain came to me. Screwing with it like that the damn thing must of randomly sling shoted me across time and space, it's a miracle I didn't end up being a 3 year old toddler.'  
  
Looking down at my hand I wonder how I ended up getting stuck within this body. 'If the granolith overloaded at the exact moment it was sending me back, it must of started sending my neurological energy back first, since brainwaves are one of the most basic energy forms in the human body, nothing but light electrical surges really. After that it must have overloaded completely, which most probably killed my former body. Then with part of me being here and with no longer my actual body to go into it must of settled for next best thing, this body, with me and my former self becoming one.'  
  
Opening the wardrobe door I look at its contents and then end up considering using it as kindle for a fire. 'My taste in clothes couldn't of really been as bad as this could they? Talk about suppressing traumatic memories. First things first, if I'm really stuck here then my priority list just changed, saving the world in 2nd place and going shopping in 1st place.'  
  
Grabbing an oversized T-shirt to use as nightie I put it on just as a knock comes from the door and someone comes in.  
  
"Hi sweetie, feeling any better now?"  
  
I watch as my mother briskly walks in going to bedside and setting down a tray of food down on my night table.  
  
"Uh, yeah, I'm feeling bit better now. mum."  
  
"Well come on now and get into bed. I brought you up some Cookieman biscuits, strawberry shortcake and honeybee soup. It will have you feeling better in no time." Nancy says while checking over her daughter with her eyes to make sure she really is ok.  
  
"Yeah, and it'll also go straight to my hips with all the fat that's in those." I mutter  
  
Seeing the look in my mother's eye's I add. "Mum, I really am fine, I've just been doing so much lately that I've had no time for any real R&R, so I was wondering, if I am feeling better tomorrow can I go shopping? It's always been something that gets my mind off all the hassles."  
  
"Maybe, but only if you really are feeling better." Looking at her with a doubtful gaze. "Will see in the morning sweetheart, now get into bed and get some rest."  
  
With that she leave's the room and I clime into bed and start to eat my meal, it had been so long since I had had something like this, I relished it totally. Then pushing the rest of my questions aside I curled down into the soft bed, which I never really appreciated when I was young and went to sleep.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~  
  
I have done many things in my life that I regret and wish I could have done differently. Lying to my mother this morning wasn't one of them, neither was accepting the money she gave me to go shopping and letting me borrow the car to get to the mall in.  
  
Getting undressed down to my underwear and putting on my new clothes while people walked by and some dirty old man watched in the malls parking lot wasn't one either.  
  
Arriving at the place I am now, with the plan to talk to the person I am going to be talking to in a few minutes is though.  
  
Ever notice that when your walking around shopping you can think clearer, shopping for the things you want and yet totally focused inwardly. Well that's what the last two hours have been like for me, two hours and thirty minutes if you count my visit to the hairdressers.  
  
During this time I had an epiphany, being back here, in this time and place, trapped within my younger self's body can work to my advantage in more ways than I possible dreamed.  
  
Also what is now been built in my mind is one of the most brilliant plans ever to save the world and get everything I want out of life. Tiny problem though, I can't do it alone, even I can admit when I need help, don't like doing it, but I can when necessary.  
  
That's why I'm parked out side Michael Guerin's trailer park home right now, hating the thought of having to trust him of all people with information of what's happening or at least going to happen, but if my plan's going to work, I need the withdrawn hardhead jerks help.  
  
Remembering back to when I was trying to find Alex's killer, Michael was the only person that when push came to shove didn't betray my trust. Maria wouldn't even hear me out from the start proof or no proof and she ended up telling Michael all about going to Las Cruces. Max was being a bastard and talking to me like I was insane or a piece of dirt, I could go on and on thinking of the ways they all backstabbed me.  
  
Michael though, even after Maria told him about going to Las Cruces he didn't run and tell Max, he kept it quite for us until we came back with all the information about the destiny book, even though he wasn't shown any proof. I started to figure out then that he must have been the one person that actually believed what I said about aliens killing Alex or at least believed in the possibility which is more than my so called best friend and soul mate did.  
  
I realised that he had supported me in my opinions in more ways than one through the years, when Tess first came to town everyone greeted her with open arms after a while, except for me and Michael, we both knew then that something was wrong. My dislike of her got passed off as jealousy though and Michaels as paranoia by the rest of the 'I know an Alien club' members.  
  
Getting out of the car I walk towards his trailer home and cringe at how dirty it all looks remembering how Hank used to hit Michael during this time frame.  
  
'After I get this over and done with me and Michael are going to have a little conversation about moving into his future apartment a few months ahead of schedule.'  
  
Knocking on the thin metal door I wait and hear someone groaning on the other side, with heavy footsteps following afterwards. The door creeks open and Hank is standing there in his boxers and dirty shirt. Seeing that his just standing there leering at me I fight the impulse to use my right hook and slam it into his face.  
  
"Hi, is Michael home? I've come to see him." I say in a polite voice while gritting my teeth.  
  
A small frown goes across his face as he turns away from to go back to his chair. "Micky, someone's here for you!"  
  
A few seconds later Michael appears out of a room in the back, looking from Hank and then to me standing just outside the doorway I see his mouth drop at the sight of me. He snapped out of his shock when Hank crunches up the beer can he was just drinking and chucks it a few feet from where I was standing.  
  
Seeing his sudden shame flickering in his eyes about the way he lives and who he lives with, he quickly moves towards me, making me take a few steps back as he shuts the door.  
  
"Sorry if he said anything to offend you." He quickly mumbles. Then taking a second look at me he says in a clearer harsher voice. "What are you doing here Parker?"  
  
The confusion his in is apparent on his face, what is prissy little Liz Parker doing in a trailer park asking for him. I can also see his shock at what it is I'm wearing.  
  
The short black cotton skirt which has a slit almost all the way up to the top of my thigh, thin black tights and black knee-high boots with massive heals that give me the extra height of dominance that I crave. To complement that perfectly I put a deep rich velvet purple shirt on that is cut to shape the curve of my hips and what exists of my breasts. To top that off my hair has now got dark gold highlights with gentle waves going though it. My dark makeup setting the whole stunning image off.  
  
'I certainly don't look like any angel with my new look, maybe an avenging angel' I think to myself as the sudden thought of what Max would do if he saw me like this flickers across my mind.  
  
"I came to talk to you Michael." I say simply not offering any more of an explanation.  
  
Irritation crosses his face. "Listen Parker, I don't know what your playing at but it's not funny, go away and don't ever come back knocking here again."  
  
I frown as he turns to walk away from me. "Ok, fine then, I just thought you might want to know where you, Max, and Isabel came from is all."  
  
He suddenly stops still in his tracks and turns to look at me. Standing there tensely for a few moments he looks at me. "I don't know what you're talking about." He says in a cool even voice.  
  
"Yes you do." I say as a knowing smile crawls across my face. "I came to you coz I know that you want to know the most out of all of why it is you three were left here on earth, why it is you have powers and where your real families are."  
  
The tension in his body doubles at this and suspicion fills his voice. "What do you know?"  
  
Smiling smugly at him I continue. "I know that you, Max and Isabel emerged out of pods looking like you were six years old, I know about all your different powers, Max's healing abilities, Isabel's dream walking, and your inability to control your powers. I know that you Michael Guerin want to learn about you alien side more than the others, I know you desperately want to find your real family, especially your father, do I need to continue Michael or is that enough?"  
  
He doesn't say anything, just stands there watching me with his jaw tight as if he imagines that I'm going to spring into an attack or something. "Michael, if I was here to hurt you or capture you to perform little tests, do you really think I would waltz right up to your front door and let you know that I know? I think not!" sighing I realise I might of handled this all a bit wrong, I'm going to have to push some of his buttons now to get him to trust me.  
  
"Listen, Michael, you, Max, and Isabel are in more danger than you could ever imagine and if you knew what I know, people knowing that you three are aliens would be the least of your concerns right now."  
  
Rubbing my temples I see that he hasn't taken his eye's off me and that now he seems more curious than anything. "Ok, you have my attention Parker, are, you, an alien to?"  
  
"No, I'm not, 100% human in fact." Before I get a chance to say anything else he jumps in and says. "Then how do you know so much about us if your not one of us then?"  
  
"That's a very long story Michael" looking around me I say "and it's not a story that should be told here in the middle of trailer park for anyone to overhear."  
  
Realising that Michael had totally forgotten that we were standing here he looks around at everything like a hawk to see if anyone was about. As he turns back to look at me I turn around and walk back over to the car.  
  
"Are you coming or what? I have to have the car back by 4pm and it's noon already. With the amount we've got to talk about and distance that we've got to go we will be lucky to make it back by 4pm."  
  
Walking up behind me Michael asks, "Where is it you are going?" Turning around to look him in the eye. "Why the place you, Max and Isabel were born." Walking around to the driver's side of the car I look up and smile at him, the first genuinely nice smile that's crossed my face since going back in time. "You see Michael I know you better than you know yourself and the story I've got to tell you is going to very hard for you to believe at the best of times. If I was to tell you it now you would be too suspicious of me to believe everything I say, but if I first show you some tangible proof you will be more likely to listen openly to what I have to say and accept it at it's face value. That's why I'm taking you to see the pod chamber from where you three emerged 11 years ago."  
  
Opening the car door and getting in I see that his doing the same on the other side cautiously. "Alright, so you still haven't answered my question on how you know we're not human and what the hell has happened to you since yesterday." Gesturing with his hands at my new look.  
  
"I'll tell you once we get there Michael, but first you must promise me something, under no circumstances are you to tell Isabel or Max anything I say or show you! Max has a profound habit of being able to screw things up, the last thing I need is for him to find out all this and then start making his puppy dog eye's at me and Isabel will surely tell anything to Max like this. If my plan is to work then they must both be kept out of this till the very end when I know nothing Max can do will screw it up."  
  
Seeing that Michael is none to happy at the thought of not telling them I add. "Michael, all our lives are in danger, and when I say all, I mean the whole planet. They could end up in serious danger if you tell them anything, you lot have more enemies out there than you realise."  
  
"Ok, I promise I won't tell them, for Now! That's the best I can do until I hear what it is you have to say."  
  
"Fine, so let's be off we have quite a journey ahead of us."  
  
With that I start up the car, trying to ignore Michaels gaze at me and head off in the direction of the rock formation. 


	3. What the ?

Warning! There are some graphic parts in this chapter (graphic in the non- good way) that some may find disturbing, those who are faint of heart or young in body are duly warned.  
  
  
  
Previously  
  
  
  
"I'll tell you once we get there Michael, but first you must promise me something, under no circumstances are you to tell Isabel or Max anything I tell or show you! Max has a profound habit of being able to screw things up, the last thing I need is for him to find out all this and then start making his puppy dog eye's at me and Isabel will surely tell anything to Max like this. If my plan is to work then they must both be kept out of this till the very end when I know nothing Max can do will screw it up."  
  
Seeing that Michael is none to happy at the thought of not telling them I add. "Michael, all our lives are in danger, and when I say all, I mean the whole planet. They could end up in serious danger if you tell them anything, you lot have more enemies out there than you realise."  
  
"Ok, I promise I won't tell them, for Now! That's the best I can do until I hear what it is you have to say."  
  
"Fine, so let's be off we have quite a journey ahead of us."  
  
With that I start up the car, trying to ignore Michaels gaze at me and head off in the direction of the rock formation.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~  
  
Part 3  
  
  
  
We sit in silence for most of the drive, I can see Michael watching me now and then, but most of the time his been looking out the window. Memorising the route that I'm taking no doubt so that he can find it by himself if he ever wants to. Smart boy.  
  
"So what's with the queen of darkness look?" he asks.  
  
"I just woke up and felt like a change." Turning to face him I gave a sweet smile and said. "What do think Maxy's opinion is going to be of me when he sees I wonder?"  
  
"I don't know, don't really care either, what I can't wait for is Kyle's reaction to it." A dirty smirk cover's his face as he registers my shock.  
  
"Shit!" I yell as I slam on my brakes. "I'm still going out with damn Kyle Valentie aren't I?"  
  
"You sound like you don't know." He says chuckling to himself.  
  
"Forgot all about it more like." Wearing a dark frown I start the car moving again to it's destination.  
  
"Forgot? Haha, if you forgot who it was your going out with then what Pam Troy say's about you must really be true then." Giving him a look that would kill pigeon's in mid flight I decide that both Michael and Pam are going to pay for that. Him for mocking me and her for starting whatever rumor it was. "You just wait Guerin, your gonna regret that comment before this day is out."  
  
Shrugging my threat off as empty he turns back to look out the window.  
  
I see the rock formation in the distance and turn off the main road and drive towards it. Michael gives me a questioning look.  
  
"We're almost there." I answer his unspoken question.  
  
I pull up to the base of the rocks and turn off the engine. "We've got to walk the rest of the way."  
  
"You've got to be kidding me, this is what you've brought me to see?"  
  
"This is the desert, you were found in the desert, kinda fit's." I say sarcastically.  
  
"Whatever." Michael mumbles.  
  
Heading off in the direction of the chamber I start the clime up to it for the second time within 24 hours or at least to my mind it's within 24 hours. "This place looks better than the last time I saw it." I whisper, but Michael hears it anyway.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asks.  
  
"Doesn't matter." I say shaking my head. "We're here now." Stopping outside of the secret doorway looking at the dusty slab of rock in front of me.  
  
"You know Parker, I think the desert heat is going to your head or something. As far as I can see there's nothing here other than dirt!" His irritation once again apparent in his voice.  
  
"That's the point, as far as you can see there's nothing here. Give me your hand."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
Ignoring him I grab his hand and head for the hidden handprint. He tries to tug his hand out of my grasp but I don't let go. Placing his hand over the stone I wave it past and the glowing handprint shows up. Michael gasps and pulls his hand back quickly.  
  
"Don't worry Michael, it won't bite, but I will if you don't quit messing around." I say in a stern voice.  
  
Snatching his hand back I place in on the mark and watch it fade as the door begins to open. Michael slowly walks into the chamber from where he once left 11 years ago. He looks around in awe and walks slowly over to the pods. I walk up behind him and point the one in the top left hand corner.  
  
"Max"  
  
Then I point to the one in the right hand corner.  
  
"Isabel"  
  
Pointing to the one just below Isabel's I say.  
  
"Michael"  
  
Then hesitantly pulling my hand back down to my side I nod at the last one in the bottom left hand corner.  
  
"Tess" I say with a bitterness that even I didn't think I possessed.  
  
"Who's Tess?" his full of curiosity once more.  
  
I give him a look through narrowed eye's trying to sum up Tess in words. 'bitch, slut, whore, gerbil, home wrecker, traitor, self centered, MURDERESS!' but I keep silent my thoughts for now.  
  
"Someone whose days are numbered." A cold hatred seeping into my words, I turn away from the pods and go sit on a rock on the other side of the chamber.  
  
Before he gets a chance to ask anymore questions I gesture he come sit beside me.  
  
"Ok, I've got a lot to tell you and I don't really know where to start, so your going to have to behr with me for a while. Let me finish what it is I have to say before interrupting no matter how strange it sounds, kay?"  
  
"Fine, just spit whatever it is out."  
  
"Alright, 4 days from now I'm destined to get shot in the Crashdown, you and Max will be there and Max will end up using his powers to heal me."  
  
"How do yo...." he starts.  
  
"I said be quite until I finish the story!" I snap at him and he sits back down silently.  
  
"So as I was saying, I'll be shot, then healed. This will start off a whole chain of events that will eventually lead to you 3 finding out where you came from and why you're here. A whole 'I know an Alien club' is formed when Maria and Alex find out about you as well, eventually the Sheriff and Kyle will also be added to this list.  
  
Two other aliens end up joining us Nasado and Tess." The bitterness once again crawls into my voice.  
  
"They'll pose as friends when really their traitors and plan to deliver you, Max and Isabel to your enemies. We would never of known their true purpose if it hadn't been for Tess slipping up. Unfortunately that slip up was the murder of one of my best friends Alex, I end up finding out in time that she's traitor before you lot end up getting delivered to the enemy."  
  
Stopping for a moment I think of the past and all the things that followed after Tess blasted off, the pain, the sorrow, the utter hatred. She destroyed us as a group and alone we fell, but none of it, not one bit has happened yet, so I still have a chance at fixing it all.  
  
"A war ended up coming to earth, lead by Kivar, the being that wants to see you all dead more than anything. He view's humans as nothing more than insects and had no pity in wiping out the population of earth city by city to find you three.  
  
I was the last in the group to survive and that was only by chance. You see there was something else Kivar wanted other than you three, it's a powerful device called the grenolith. It's not known who created it, or what it's true use is. All we know is that it contains a massive power, unlike any other in the universe that can be manipulated. It's can be used as a weapon, as a healing device, basically anything you can conceive of if you know how to make the right modifications to make it work for that purpose.  
  
I used it to bend space and time or more correctly tried to use it to do that. I planned to go back in time and stop a certain event from happening, but it all went wrong when a minion of Kivar's called Nicolas overloaded grenolith while I was in it. Everything went wrong from there, the place and date got changed for one thing and also the process of sending me back was only half done when the grenolith overloaded. Which led to me being trapped in my former self's body. That's how I know all about you 3 being aliens and what's going to happen in the near future.  
  
Questions? Comments?"  
  
Michael just sits there absorbing what I just said starring at me deep in thought, with a skeptical look on his face. The minuets pass until he turns away from me and looks back at the pods.  
  
"So why are we here, who sent us to earth, and what about my family." Turning back to me I see hope sparkling in his eyes and a small amount of pity enters me for what I'm about to tell him.  
  
"Max and Isabel were Prince and Princess of their world, Antar, their father was killed and Max took his place. You were his second in command, the general in charge of his army. Kivar ended up killing you three, Max and Isabel's mother took your essences and implanted them in genetically created hybrid human bodies. Then you were all sent to earth, to be hidden safely away until you reached maturity, but the traitor Nasado sabotaged the ship and it crashed, everyone on the ship died accepts for Nasado, a protector called Tash and the pods.  
  
Your father, mother, and two younger sisters were all murdered by Kivar Michael, he wanted to wipe out all those that were loyal to royal throne."  
  
I watch as he slouches over putting his head in his hands silently grieving for the family he never knew. After a few more moments he looked up with a stronger clear determination.  
  
"So what about this Tess? Why was she sent with us if she was a traitor? And what happened to Nasado and Tash?"  
  
"All you need to know about Tess is that she is a traitor, but the queen didn't know this when she sent her off with you. As for Nasado and Tash I'm not to sure, the true facts of what happened straight after the crash died with Tash I think, but this is what I think happened.  
  
Nasado and Tash were assigned to be the protectors of the pods by the queen, you see there were two set's of pods made, one was basically a backup incase anything happened to the first set. You, Max and Isabel are from the first set they made, you had a fault though, you were to human in the scientists opinions, so when they made the second set they made them more alien, this would mean when they had grown up they would be more stronger and have greater powers than you.  
  
Tash didn't know that Nasado was the one that betrayed them so he had no problem entrusting one of the sets with him. Now as for the rest of this it's just a guess on my part, but I think it's close to what must have happened. You see I've met your duplicates, they are in New York, and are identical to you lot accepts for the. urm.. unique way they dress. One thing that's very strange though, Rath and Lonnie, yours and Isabel's dupe's.. are... well basically evil, they murdered Zan, Max's dupe and then tried to kill Max when he wouldn't do what they wanted him to do in my timeline, but Ava, Tess's dupe was nice, in fact we became close friends in the short time that I knew her, which is a exact opposite to what happened to me and Tess.  
  
So do the math, you, Max, Isabel, and Ava are nice, but Rath, Lonnie and Tess are evil, I never met him, but I'm willing to bet that Zan might not of been much of a good guy either, I think something about them having slightly different alien concentration in them might be responsible, but again, I can't be sure. Also Tess was way stronger with her alien powers than she ever let on, which just adds further proof to my theory. I think that while you guys were all in the pods Ava's and Tess's pod's got switched by accident or on purpose.  
  
So Nasado came and hid you guys here with an evil Tess, and Tash took the other set that had a good Ava in it to New York."  
  
"But why would they spilt us up in the first place." Michael insists totally caught up in the story of his past.  
  
"Never keep all your eggs in the same basket! Ring a bell? You were all too important to keep in one place.  
  
Tash must have taken the 2nd set to New York and hidden them in what was to be a temporary hiding place in the sewers, while you were put here. Tash must have then returned to Roswell for some reason that we'll probably never know.  
  
Something must of then transpired between Nasado and him, because Tash never made it back to New York to take care of the other pods and they hatched alone in the world. I think Nasado wanted to know where Tash had hidden the pods, but for some reason Tash didn't tell him, maybe he had suspicions about Nasado's treachery, again that's something will never know. He must of then killed Tash and went out in search for the pods, but you see Nasado value's human life then and now very lowly and would not care in the slightest at killing someone to get what he wants.  
  
This was his undoing because it was during this time he was captured by the FBI and tortured, he eventually escaped and was found by an Indian called RiverDog who help him back to health, after that he most probably set back off to look for the other set.  
  
You see I think Nasado thought he had the second set of pods and not the first set because of Tess. You see Max has this thing called the royal seal built into him, and his dupe Zan also has it, but his is clearly marked to show that his seal is only a duplicate of the true seal. This is why Nasado wanted the other set, he needed the true seal, he just never realised he already had him.  
  
You, Max and Isabel hatched out of your pods way before Tess did, in fact you left her behind, this also is another piece of proof that strengthens my theory about Ava and Tess being switched. If Tess were from the second set originally then she would be more alien and therefore need more time to gestate. I'm betting if I had asked Ava when I had the chance if she had been the first one out of their pods in New York her answer would have been yes.  
  
So when Nasado arrives back in time for what he thinks your hatching date would be he only finds Tess there. By that time Max and Isabel were already adopted and you were in foster care."  
  
Leaning back against the rock I soak up the silence and wait for Michael's on coming questions already getting weary of talking so much. When he doesn't say anything I open my eyes and look in his direction.  
  
"So what's your plan, I mean, you said you had a plan before, so what is it?" He asks, I suddenly realise that there is respect in his voice for me.  
  
Sighing deeply I say in a quite voice. "It's been my fault that the world has been destroyed twice now, the first time a Max from the future used the grenolith like I did but got it right. He told me how him and me being together ended up leading to the worlds destruction in 14 years time, so we did some things that pushed the present day Max in that timeline away from me, which changed that future to make sure it wouldn't happen and he disappeared when it was done.  
  
Instead something worse happened because of my actions, instead of 14 years till the invasion came, it happened within 3 years, everyone I ever knew, my family, what was left of my friends, all died before my eye's falling one by one."  
  
Suddenly feeling a wetness on my cheek I realise I'm crying, 'strange' I distantly think.  
  
"I still can hear Maria's screams as they tortured her trying to get her to tell them where grenolith was and Isabel's cries for help from far down a corridor that no one answered as she was raped and beaten by Kivar."  
  
Sob's now racking throughout my form, my hands trembling as I remember how I escaped from the prison camp. Not wanting to tell him but realising I must make him understand what it is his got to help me stop from ever happening.  
  
"We never saw you or Max alive again after they had captured us, there was separate male and female cell blocks you see. But one day a few weeks after Isabel's death Maria and I saw yours and Max's mutilated corpses being carried out to the pit where they throw the dead away. Maria was hysterical, I felt nothing, responded to nothing, and I was totally numb for hours.  
  
When I finally came out of my shock I saw Maria lying there on our cell floor a pool of blood around her, she had slit her wrists."  
  
I remember how I had crawled to her body, begging her to wake up and not to leave me, and how her blood soaked right through my cloths, her pale skin made her look like a sleeping porcelain doll.  
  
Totally breaking down into tears I realise there's a hand on my back gently rubbing up and down my spine. Looking up I see Michael totally lost as what to do, his trying to comfort me but doesn't know how to do it. It brings a smile to my face and helps a little knowing he cares.  
  
"You see Michael, in my timeline you and Maria were married just before the war came to earth, she loved you so much, all the time in the camp the only thing that kept her going was the thought she might one day be in your arms again, but after seeing you dead that hope was gone and so was her will to live."  
  
"We. we were married?" he says in a quite voice looking off in to the distance. "and she loved me?" he adds as a whisper.  
  
"Yeah, I passed out after I realised she was dead, now I was truly alone in the world. That was probably the luckiest thing that ever happened to me. Coz the next thing I know I'm waking up outside under the twilight sky just before dawn. I was free, but then I realised where I was, I was in the pit, hundreds of dead corpses were littered around me. The guards when they found Maria and I must of thought we were both dead since I was covered in so much of her blood. They cared very little and must have not even bothered to check if I was alive, I was just another dead human to them.  
  
I had to struggle over the decomposing corpses to finally escape, I'll never forget the look of death, the way their eye's were glazed over with a grayish film, slightly sunken back into their skulls, and the most terrible stench imaginable was leaking from them."  
  
Coming closer he embraces me and hold me close to him. For a long time I just sit their and cry on his shoulder leaving a small wet patch of tears on his shirt, allowing finally all the grief to come pouring out. Slowly regaining control of myself I sit back and push him slightly away.  
  
Back to my cool sharp voice I say "And that's all she wrote, I've twice had a chance to save the world, this is my third and finally chance, three strikes and you're out as they say."  
  
"You can't take blame for it, you never knew how things would all end up." Sympathy evident in his tone, this hits me down to the core, I refuse to have Michael Guerin of all people feeling pity for me.  
  
"And don't I damn well know it, Max the bane of my existence deserves well over half of it for the stunts his destined to perform if I don't stop him. I knew Tess was no good, and I told him so! But OH NO, little old Liz is just jealous of a short blond, she couldn't possible have a point!"  
  
Suddenly stopping my rant I realise that Michael has backed off a bit in shock at my sudden change of mood. Getting his behrings back he asks. "So where is this grenolith thing then and why have you told me all this?"  
  
Looking at him I can't no longer read his expression. Getting back to my purpose I say. "It's safer if you don't know where the grenolith is, currently it's the most important thing in existence, and many want it. If I was to tell you it would only put you in more danger than your going to be in, all it would take was for an enemy of yours to mind rape you and pull it's location straight out of your thick skull and we're all done for.  
  
The less people that know where it is, the safer everyone will be, I don't think even Nasado knew where it was since he would of told Max about it while he was posing as the protector.  
  
As for you, I'll need your help in many of the things I have planned, your one most basic purpose being that incase something happens to me you'll be their to continue my cause and protect those that I failed to protect for a third time. Are you up to the responsibility?"  
  
"Yeah, it's a lot to deal with in one go, but my gut tells me that your on the level about all this, so whatever you need my help for, I'm in." he says.  
  
"Kay, well come on, we better be heading back now, I'll tell you the rest in the car." Bushing myself down I get up and head towards the doorway with Michael following silently behind me, stepping out suddenly into the bright desert sun makes my eye's squint as I look out on the landscape. I remember when we got that message from Max's and Isabel's mother saying Tess was his destiny, how we stood out here for a few moments and then I left knowing I had to let him make the choice of staying here with Tess or following me.  
  
I never actually thought he would let me walk off that day and never come after me, a cool rage slowly building up in me I remember how it was only a few days afterwards when he had a chance to think did he try and contact me to tell me he was sorry, sending me letters, leavening me messages on the phone. 'To little, to late Maxy, actions speak louder than words and your actions were to stay there with Tess.' I suddenly become conscious of the fact Michael is talking to me about something.  
  
"Liz? Where's that handprint thingy? I need to touch it again to close this door right?" he asks in confusion as I see him trying to figure out where on the rock he touched.  
  
Walking over to where it is I wave my hand over the spot for him to see. "Just here Micha.."  
  
Suddenly pulling my hand back as if it had been burnt I look in shock at the glowing handprint on the wall.  
  
"That, that, can't be. I don't have the ability anymore to use my powers, it can't respond to me."  
  
"What the hell?" he says looking that the glowing hand on the wall. "How did you make it appear for you? And what do you mean your powers? I thought you said you were 100% human!"  
  
"I did, I am... I don't know why it's appeared for me, I shouldn't be able to do this yet." Looking at Michael's confused face I try to explain.  
  
"After Max heals me from the point of death in the Crashdown, it well, changes me, I ended up developing powers like you, Max and Isabel, just not as strong. But I haven't been healed yet, so that shouldn't have happened." Putting my hand on the glowing mark I try to close the door, but nothing happens. Reapplying my hand I try again, but still nothing happens and it just stays as a glowing mark.  
  
"I don't get it, a moment ago it recognized me, but now it doesn't, it won't let me close the door. Michael you try." I say while pushing him forward. Raising his hand and placing it on the glowing mark suddenly the door starts to close.  
  
"Great, all I need, more unknown's for me to get a headache over."  
  
Slightly unnerved by the whole scene I turn around and head back to the car leaving Michael there staring at the spot where the door once was. 'I'll figure this out later.'  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
The journey back home was even more quite than the journey here, we both had much to think about. I only broke the silence once or twice to inform Michael of first few stages of my plan. The main part being getting a hold of enough money to make sure I can finance the rest of my plans.  
  
That really wasn't as hard as it seemed, I had figured out this morning what I was going to do, I remembered that two days after I got shot, in my business studies class I really couldn't pay any attention to the teacher as we were talking about our mock stock options that we were going to spend our fake money on.  
  
I was so engrossed in thinking about Max I ended up clicking on the first company that came on to my computer screen and ended up just investing all my fake money on that. Turned out to be some new computer company, and a few days later it's stock prices went through the roof when they brought on to the market a new piece of technology, I got an 'A' for my 'wise decision making', the teacher was singing my praises for ages after that.  
  
What I plan to do is come Monday I'm gonna go to the bank after school cash out everything in my life savings and future college fund and buy up as much of that stock as possible. Then in secret become one of Roswell's richest women without anyone knowing, I'll have to explain something to my parents I guess about my increase of money, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.  
  
I've also been toying with the idea of if I cash some of those stocks out on Friday I could buy a ticket to New York, and maybe find Ava, how I would find her I don't know, but my instincts say I have got to find her, she knew so much more than she ever let on to me and maybe if I make friends with her before she learns it she would be more willing to share it with me, not to mention saving Zan's life from Lonnie and Rath.  
  
Michael really didn't like that last idea, said that if the second set did have like some evil flaw in them I should keep far away from Zan most of all. But still, I find it hard to believe that anyone that shares so much in common with Max could be evil.  
  
'Oh my God! Please don't say I actually had a sappy thought about Max again, that's it, its being back in this time, it's bringing up far to many memories, I've got to stay focused.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
'Why, oh why couldn't I of just died! Huh? I must have been a damn evil bitch in a former life to get stuck with karma like mine.' After dropping Michael off I arrived home to a very pissed off Maria in the Crashdown kitchen. Seems she's not thrilled with the idea of working my shift coz I'm not feeling well, only to find out my get well cure is spending loads of money on a solo shopping trip.  
  
After whining to my mother that I'm fit and healthy to do the shift and my mother agreeing with her here I am stuck in the tacky uniform wearing these damn springy antenna. 'The first customer to piss me off is gonna get their neck snapped I swear with the mood I'm in right now.'  
  
After having to deal with some new cook called Jeremiah and I nutty UFOologist that is proclaiming his a Roswelluver, I simply will not be responsible for my actions!  
  
The fact I can feel eye's watching me right now doesn't help either, Max has just been sitting in here for the last 40 minutes watching me, god, how long can he drag one drink out for, but it really got interesting when Michael arrived and I went to ask him for his order, he was more jitter than a kid on Christmas eve, don't know if Max noticed it or not.  
  
As I finish cleaning this booth I let my mind stray on to what my little Maxy is wearing today, tight blue jeans and his black shirt over a white T- shirt. Suddenly snapping me out of my train of thought I realise there's a pair of arms wrapped around my waste. 'Damn, the owner of the arms is gonna have a black eye in a second."  
  
Turning around shoving the person away I find myself looking into the very shocked eye's of Kyle Valentie. 'Things just couldn't get any worse could they?'  
  
"What do you want Kyle, I'm busy." I snap at him going to the next booth and start wiping that one down as well.  
  
"What? a guy can't give his girlfriend a little TLC these days?" he says in a little innocent boy voice.  
  
"Well Kyle that whole girlfriend part is something that I have been meaning to talking to you about for a while now." I say in a more softer voice and absently notice that I have the full attention of Max and Michael right in the next booth even though their both pretending not to be listening.  
  
"Oh?" is all Kyle says very articulate of him.  
  
Stopping my cleaning I look up at him. "You see Kyle, I really don't think that this" gesturing to the space between him and me "is working anymore."  
  
"I've realised that the relationship that I want with you is friendship, not anything else, more platonic, a lot more." 'Damn it, he looks pissed'  
  
"YOUR BREAKING UP WITH ME LIZ???" 'Great, now I have the attention of all the Crashdown customers focused on me.'  
  
"WHY? Why would you want to break up with me?" he says in an almost pleading voice.  
  
"I just told you why Kyle, please accept that." I say through clenched teeth. 'Ok, getting pissed off now, don't push it Kyle, you won't like me when I'm angry.'  
  
"You're seeing someone else aren't you! Your dumping me for someone else." Sighing and shaking my head feeling a hell of a headache coming on I look back up at him.  
  
"No, I'm not Kyle, I just don't want to go out with you anymore."  
  
"Your fucking having PMS or something aren't you." 'SNAP' there I go, I've now lost it. 'PMS is it, I'll show you fucking PMS.'  
  
"You know your right Kyle, there is someone else, I've been involved with him for a while now." Ok, that was like sooooo worth it, the audible gasp from the Crashdown customers as the little saint waitress Liz admits to having a bit on the side to her boyfriend and Kyle's gob smacked expression makes life worth living.  
  
"I knew it, I knew it, who is the bastard? Who is he Liz?" Kyle says in an ever growing louder tone.  
  
"His sitting in the booth just behind me." I say gesturing to where Max and Michael are sitting. Suddenly before I could blink Kyle's over their towering over Max.  
  
"Evan's" he says in a voice dripping with venom. "The guys told me that you had been watching Liz, but I didn't believe them, or at least didn't think Liz of all people would fall for your little act." Grabbing Max by the shirt and pulling him forward so they were face to face.  
  
'I must say, Max looks petrified. Suddenly the whole Crashdown is watching him. Shall I do something? Oh what the hell, why not, I'm still pissed.'  
  
"Kyle, What On Earth are you doing?" I say in an innocent voice.  
  
"About to beat the crap out of the guy you cheated on me with." He says in a menacing voice not even bothering to look up at me.  
  
"Kyle, what are you talking about, I never cheated on you with Max, it's Michael I'm in love with!" With that said, in one stride over to him I jump into Michaels lap wrapping my arms round his neck.  
  
"What the @\|$?!#???" Both Kyle and Max are frozen in place almost like some cartoon characters and Michael is wearing the expression saying 'please let me wake up and this all be a nightmare.' choking back my laughter keeping a perfectly serious face on I learn forward to Michael my cheek brushing against his and whispering in a low voice into his ear I say.  
  
"Told you you'd regret saying that to me in the car before this day is out." Watching him suddenly remember my words from earlier thinking then that it was nothing but an empty threat was wonderful.  
  
Looking back at Max and Kyle I see their still frozen there, but Max's face is in a red rage and looks like his about to rip Michael to pieces, Kyle, still very pissed off seems more hesitant at the thought of challenging Michael. Then seeing that nearly all the other people in the Crashdown are holding their breaths at this little drama unfolding I decide to put the final nail in the coffin and give Michael a little kiss on the cheek and snuggle up under his chin.  
  
I can tell by Michaels tense muscles that his most probably about to shove me off his lap any second now.  
  
Kyle's voice breaks the silence. "You've got to be kidding me Liz." he says in a almost hurt voice.  
  
Suddenly jumping out of Michaels lap to stand up right in front of Kyle I say in a waspish tone.  
  
"Yes, Kyle, I was kidding." Turning back to Michael. "No offence Michael, your just not really my type, neither are moronic jocks!" Making it blatantly clear that I'm referring to Kyle, out of the corner of my eye I see Michael visibly relaxes, but Max, oh boy, I feel sorry for Michael when he leave's here, Max still looks like his contemplating what his going to kill Michael with.  
  
Turning away from Kyle I go back to the table I was cleaning leaving him standing there, a few seconds later I hear a the front door of the Crashdown slamming and look up just in time to see Kyle storming off. Seeing that everyone is now watching me in silence as if they expect me to grow a second head or something is kind of disturbing.  
  
"Take a picture it will last longer." I shout over my shoulder so that everyone can hear and with that I walk of into the backroom to fill the empty bottles.  
  
'Gezzz, I wonder what schools gonna be like come Monday?. As if I really care." 


	4. Sexy Ears

Previously  
  
  
  
"Yes, Kyle, I was kidding." Turning back to Michael. "No offence Michael, your just not really my type, neither are moronic jocks!" Making it blatantly clear that I'm referring to Kyle, out of the corner of my eye I see Michael visibly relaxes, but Max, oh boy, I feel sorry for Michael when he leave's here, Max still looks like his contemplating what his going to kill Michael with.  
  
Turning away from Kyle I go back to the table I was cleaning leaving him standing there, a few seconds later I hear a the front door of the Crashdown slamming and look up just in time to see Kyle storming off. Seeing that everyone is now watching me in silence as if they expect me to grow a second head or something is kinda disturbing.  
  
"Take a picture it will last longer." I shout over my shoulder so that everyone can hear and with that I walk of into the backroom to fill the empty bottles.  
  
'Gezzz, I wonder what schools gonna be like come Monday. As if I really care."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Part 4  
  
  
  
'Roswell High, what a lovely school.'  
  
'The teachers teach, the students don't learn, and the grapevine behr's fruit.'  
  
'And guess who's the talk of the town today? Me! I feel so honored.'  
  
Walking down the center of the school hallway I go, when the students will stop pointing nobody knows. A good thing to note about small towns is that news travels fast and when there's so much new new's about one person, watch out.  
  
'Ok, so I've been in school for like five minutes and these are the different rumors I've heard so far about me.  
  
(1) Liz Parker broke up with Kyle Valentie because he wasn't giving her enough TLC. I guess that one's kinda close to the truth, even though it's a bit mixed up.  
  
(2) Liz Parker's having a sordid love affair with Michael Guerin. I guess I have only myself to blame for that one.  
  
(3) Liz Parker's in a gang now, that's why she's had a makeover, can't be in a gang if you're geeky looking! Thanx, I was geeky looking huh? Geeky acting maybe, but looking as well?  
  
(4) Liz Parker carries a spatula around in her bag. No, even I didn't get that one.  
  
So? How was my weekend then? Let's see, I woke up in my 16 year old self's body, even though I'm mentally 21.  
  
Blew off Maria so bad that she isn't even talking to me now (there is a God!).  
  
Visited Michael Guerin and rocked his world in the non-sexual sense.  
  
Had a very messy break up with my boyfriend that I never was really too fond of anyway.  
  
Endangered Michaels life if the fact that he just walked right past without even looking at me had something to do with Max sending him death glare's from across the corridor.  
  
Not to mention terrifying Isabel Evans. The stuck up little princess herself came into the Crashdown with her snotty friends on Sunday. Now I consider myself a patient person, really, I do, so when they take age's figuring out what they want to order I don't mind, even when I hear them saying put downs about me as I walk away I don't even so much as spit in their food, but when I come back with their orders and the Ice Princess tells me this isn't her order (when I know it is) I tend to get annoyed. Only a little annoyed of course.  
  
I would never do anything to hurt, maim, traumatize or scare shitless another human being, oh wait, I said human being, oh well, she had it coming anyways.  
  
"Ok Isabel, I'll go change your order, is there anything else I can get for you? Drink? Desert? Couple gallons of Tabasco Sauce?" I said to her. I swear if you could of disconnected her jaw from her skull it would of fell to the ground. Plop.  
  
My fake waitress smile evaporating and fully letting my contempt for her pour in my gaze a sudden almost fearful expression crosses her face as she ever so minutely cowers away from me standing by her side. Just as soon as it came my express disappears before any of self her absorbed friends notice and I turn around on my heal and head for the kitchen to get her order. Never seen Isabel so quite and reserved after that, no manners though, she left without even finishing her meal and not even so much as a tip. Some people these days.  
  
Oh yeah, also managed to make my parents flip when I told them I was quitting my job at the Crashdown Sunday night. It was a long battle, full of careless actions, harsh comments, and many kitchen plates lost their lives as the argument came to a boil, but I won of course, so now by their rule 'I must find a job within two weeks or I'm going to work back there.' To say my mum wasn't impressed about my joke 'Does that include strip teasing?' was an understatement.  
  
So here I am, heading to my first class, wearing strappy 3inch heals and a plain royal blue dress with spaghetti straps that come to just above my knees hugging my figure.  
  
Oh yeah, and guess what, I have biology first, I wonder what my lab partner is going to say to me? A sly smile crawls across my face.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
It's lucky I don't have high expectations right now or other wise I would be very disappointed at Max's lack of interest to see me. More correctly his wonderful talent of totally ignoring me.  
  
My biology teacher couldn't get anymore boring if he tried, I've already learnt what his teaching now at university a level, so unless I do something to entertain myself the rest of this lesson is going to be very dull.  
  
Guess what lab partner of mine has unknowingly volunteered himself to do the entertaining?  
  
"Hey Max" I whisper. "Do you think this teacher could get anymore boring?" I whisper nudging his arm.  
  
Keeping his head turned towards the front of the class he says in an annoyed tone. "I'm trying to listen to what being taught!"  
  
'Oh, bitchy, someone's still got their feather's ruffled then.' "I would think with ears like yours you could listen to both." I retort. With a slight turn of his head I see the hurt expression on his face at what I just said.  
  
"Miss Parker? Is there something you would like to share with the class?" the teacher shouts and the whole class turn round to look at me. 'Why do I keep ending up as the center of attention?'  
  
"No Sir."  
  
"Well then Miss Parker, since you must know so much as to not listen to the lesson why don't you explain the next chapter in the text book for us on page 157?"  
  
Turning to that page I glance at its title "DNA in Mitosis 'Genes'"  
  
'Oh this is just too easy.' A smile appearing on my face I say, "Of course sir, I know how much trouble teachers have with this sort of thing." Closing the textbook and looking him straight in the eye.  
  
"Genes are basically chemical instructions and a gene is a length of DNA. So DNA is a long list of instructions on how to put the organism together and make it work you see.  
  
Each separate gene is a separate chemical instruction to a particular type of cells. Cells make proteins by stringing amino acids together in a particular order. There are only about 20 different amino acids, but they make up thousands of different proteins.  
  
Genes simply tell cells in what order to put the amino acids together, That determines what proteins the cell produces, e.g. haemoglobin or keratin, etc. That in turn determines what type of cell it is, e.g. red blood cell, skin cell, etc."  
  
Most of the class is mumbling something amongst themselves now, the teacher has the appearance of a man who's just been hit by a bus and Max is looking at me with an odd stare.  
  
The teacher turns away from me saying something inaudible and goes back to teaching the class as if I had never said anything. 'Hmm, I wonder what this will do for my social status?'  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
I'm not annoyed, I'm not displeased, I'm not infuriated, just because Max Evan's has gone out of his way all day so far ever since biology to avoid me. 'How can I have my fun if he won't sit still? This is not going the way I planned at all.' I think to myself as I walk down the empty hallway.  
  
'I know you're here somewhere Max, you've got a free lesson too right now.' Sighing heavily as I turn the corner, bam, someone walks straight into me.  
  
"Watch where the hell your going!" I snap.  
  
"Sorry, I didn't see you th. Liz?"  
  
Looking up at my assailant I realise that it is none other than my disappearing reappearing alien.  
  
"Max. how strange to see you I could have sworn that you were avoiding me." I say with a smirk.  
  
"Uh, I, gotta go, bye." He mumbles.  
  
"Oooh. running off with his tail between his leg's is it? Your just getting loads of animal anatomy these days, not forgetting those dumbo ears of yours." Chuckling to myself I look at him and see that might of not been the best thing to say. 'Boy he looks angry.'  
  
"OK, I get IT, alright! I'm not your type and you hate my ears! You don't have to keep rubbing it in!" He shouts in an uncharacteristic loss of control.  
  
'So that's his problem, he thinks his dream girl, that his been in love with since 3rd grade doesn't want him and that I hate his ears. Arhhh... Of course, the most easy thing to damage in the world,  
  
A mans ego!  
  
I guess I should do something, won't be no good to me if his in this kind of mood all the time.'  
  
Taking a couple of quick steps forward I shove Max up against the lockers and move so that there's no space left between us, our bodies pressed together and my arms wrapped around the back of his neck and I start to pepper his jaw line with light kisses working my way to the bottom of his ear.  
  
His entire body is taut and I think his holding his breath, not doing anything to stop me, but neither doing anything to encourage me. 'Poor thing.'  
  
Slowly bringing my mouth to his ear I say in a honey sweet low voice.  
  
"Max. I think.. Your ears.. Are.. Sexy." Suddenly hearing him draw in a breath I slowly start to nibble on the flesh of his ear, sucking gently on the skin. Working my way down his neck to just beneath his jaw line I start to tend the flesh there until he relaxes under my ministrations.  
  
"Liz." he moans.  
  
My mind suddenly registers the school bell has just gone, quickly backing off before he knows what happened I turn and walk down the hall way, vanishing into the crowed of students heading for their next class's.  
  
I know Max is standing there dumbstruck watching me walk away, I feel him watching me. 'I wonder if anyone is going to tell him before the day is out that he has a rather prominent hicky on his upper neck?'  
  
Chuckling to myself I head for my next class as a mischievous smile crosses my face making a mental note that now I've had my fun I still have to go to the bank today to get the money to pay for the shares.  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
'To get shot? Or not to get shot? That is the question.'  
  
Not many people can wake up and asks themselves if they want to get a hole blown through them or not today.  
  
I have that choice though and have been asking myself that question all day with no clear answer. So here I am now sitting in one of the farthest booths in the Crashdown watching two guys on the far end of the café having an argument. Maria walks up to them and says something, but they just rudely send her off. 'Oh yeah, Maria's still ignoring me, she actually thinks I'm going to come and apologize to her, ha!'  
  
Max and Michael are both here a few booths down in front of me. Max won't quit trying to catch my eye and Michael is apprehensive as hell. Him and me are the only two that know a shot is going to be fired to today and he is not one bit happy about it, the fact I told him no matter what happens him and Max, under no circumstances are to run away from the scene didn't help matters.. On the phone last night I told him he had to make sure Max was there, after the hallway incident I wasn't sure if Max would run and hide his head in a hole or not.  
  
As it turns out from Michael's second call it seems that Max didn't want to be anywhere near the Crashdown, 'been nervy and jumpy ever since Monday afternoon' he said.  
  
'I wonder why?' I thought, my eyes practically twinkling.  
  
But now that Max's here he won't quit with the puppy eyes, I've got more important things to think about right now though. After that whole glowing handprint thing activating outside the pod chamber I've been questioning the nature of the powers I had or have. I spent all last night in fact trying to use them to see if their there or not.  
  
Apparently after 3 hours of trying to do something, anything, their 'not'. Which is very confusing and doesn't explain what happened outside the chamber.  
  
Either way I see it as this, I get shot today and get changed by Max's powers, which will end up with me having powers of my own, something that will be Very useful. Not to mention the fact Max won't be able to run from me as much when I want to mess with his head.  
  
On the other side though is the fact, do I really want a hole through my gut? And do I really want to have to form that kind of connection with Max here and now? The whole point of only telling Michael was to keep Max and Isabel out of this till the very end, if I get shot then they'll be drawn in to this to an extent.  
  
Sighing I watch as the fight between the two men starts to escalate and people begin to watch the scene. Getting up and moving to the place the bullet is going to go I wait. 'Do I really want to do this? This choice alone could make or break the success of the things I have planned.'  
  
Suddenly the two guys are standing shouting at one another. 'Now or never Liz, just one side step to the right and the bullet will go right past you.' I say to myself.  
  
Finally making my decision, choosing between getting shot or not, I watch as one of the men pulls out a gun.  
  
The piercing sound of a gunshot echo's throughout the Crashdown, while people scream and drop to the floor in safety.  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
HeHeHe, I know, I'm evil by not telling you whether she got shot or not, guess you'll have to wait till the next part to find out. 


	5. So What if I don't care?

Author Note: To anonymous feed backer that sends multiple posts. If You Don't Like This Story DON'T Read It Then! I'm not putting a gun to your head saying you've got to read it you know!  
  
I'm making Liz bitchy in this story for many reasons, one of them being IT'S PART OF THE PLOT! Second being that I'm fed up of whiny little Liz Parker that lets everyone walk all over her. This story will continue on with the way I want it to be no matter what you say, it's already been written up to chapter 15, and believe me it gets much worse. So if you don't like it, take my advice from the beginning and DON'T READ IT! Also this new take charge bitchy Liz isn't inhibited against sexually tormenting poor little Maxy, so that's another reason I like to play with writing this character.  
  
Yes, I have seen season three, but most of this story was written during season two, the only things I knew at the time about season three was what I read in spoilers, so that's what I'm sticking to, and personally I hated season three anyways. It was full of poor script writing, sketchy storylines, and empty plot holes. Special FX's were good, but a series can't stand on FX's alone, it's got to have substance, and in my opinion season three seriously lacked that.  
  
No, liz isn't necessarily happy with seeing her family and friends again. There is a reason for this and Liz's bitchyness explained in later chapters. A lot of things happen in the future years that this liz has come from and she can't just sweep aside those experiences that she still has memories of. This story is partially liz's journey dealing with all the traumas that she was put through in the future, and one by one they will get reveled in the story as it progresses and she starts to openly up slowly.  
  
This is my story, my imagination, I will choose in what way I will lead the characters. If you want it done differently, write your own story! This is not a 'sugery happy puff' story, its angsty, its twisted, and it's quite dark in some places, it's also so funny, hopeful, and will have a happy ending. I like this story, it's one of my fav's to write, I plan to continue on with it for a long time exactly the way I have. If you don't like it, DON'T READ IT!  
  
Now after that rant, On with the story.  
  
Previously  
  
  
  
Sighing I watch as the fight between the two men starts to escalate and people begin to watch the scene. Getting up and moving to the place the bullet is going to go I wait. 'Do I really want to do this? This choice alone could make or break the success of the things I have planned.'  
  
Suddenly the two guys are standing shouting at one another. 'Now or never Liz, just one side step to the right and the bullet will go right past you.' I say to myself.  
  
Finally making my decision, choosing between getting shot or not, I watch as one of the men pulls out a gun.  
  
The piercing sound of a gunshot echo's throughout the Crashdown, while people scream and drop to the floor in safety.  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~  
  
Part 5  
  
  
  
Sayings?  
  
What saying do I like best?  
  
'When life gives you lemon's, make lemonade' they say, personally I like 'When life gives you 84 thousand dollars for the first 100 shares you just sold' better.  
  
'I came, I saw, I kicked my bank manager's but when I cashed in a hundred or so shares and had the money transferred to my account. I'm now one rich Roswell lady.'  
  
Looking down at this mornings newspaper and seeing my current share prices almost makes me giddy, I actually have a nice bubbly feeling in me, shame the pending discussion with my parents about where I got the money is only a few minuets away.  
  
Walking into the Crashdown getting my little speech ready something swiftly sidesteps me almost knocking me into a table.  
  
"Damn well watch where you're going!" 'Why does everyone make me their moving target to walk into?' Looking at the person I cringe upon realising its Maria. 'Great, this is gonna be fun.'  
  
"LIZ! What is wrong with you? You haven't even talked to Alex or me all week! You're starting to worry us now Chica, please tell me what's going on with you."  
  
"Quit sounding so whiney and go wait on a table or something." I say walking right past her seeing steam practically coming out of her ears in fury.  
  
'Oh, look who's sitting in a booth at the back! The Legal Alien trio themselves.' Michael and Isabel sitting on one side, with Max alone on the other.  
  
'Shall I make a detour? Ha, who could resist?'  
  
They spot me coming over, Isabel gives me a dirty look, Michael tenses up again, and Max looks like he wants to run like the wind out of here. Poor thing.  
  
"So how are you three today? Narly I hope." I say as an obviously fake sentiment.  
  
"We were fine till you came over." Isabel snaps.  
  
"Oooh, and the Izzy Lizard behr's her fang's.  
  
I just come over here to see if three of our most regular customers are ok since I haven't seen any of you since the shooting a couple of days ago and get the olive branch bitten out my hand as a reward."  
  
"Yeah, we're fine, sorry about Izzy, we can't take her anywhere these days." Michael says with a slight smirk on his face as Isabel glares daggers at him.  
  
I smile warmly at Michael, turning my attention back to Max, his starring intensely at the bottom of his cola glass at if it hid the mysteries of the universe within it.  
  
Determined that I'm going to get him to say more than five words to me I scoot up into the empty seat besides him.  
  
"So Max. how are you? After that shot was fired you looked more shooked up than I did." I comment softly giggling.  
  
Looking up from his drink he quietly stares at me for a moment. "You were almost hit by that bullet Liz, it's nothing to laugh about."  
  
"Arh. you care, that just makes me feel so special." My voice soaked with sarcasm I lean over close to him and kiss his cheek quickly. Getting up out of the booth I don't even bother looking back at them as I head to the back of the Crashdown to try and find my parents.  
  
"LIZ!" glancing to my side I cringe for a second time at seeing Maria storming towards me. "Now we have been friends for a long time chica, if there's something wrong then please tell me, you've never acted like this before." Gesturing to the startled trio and me.  
  
A cool rage starts to build in me at this blond nuisance. "Well, Maria, if I've never acted this way before then maybe its long over due. Now could you please do me a favor and get out my way! Permanently!"  
  
Just as she was getting ready to explode and shout something at me I notice someone coming out of the backroom carrying a load of plates.  
  
"Mum! Here let me help you with those." I say switching into my innocent little girl voice leaving Maria standing there with her mouth open as I take the plates out of my mother's arms and put them on the counter.  
  
"Oh thanks sweetie. What are you doing here right now? I thought you were staying after school for a few hours today?"  
  
Putting my acting skills to the test I start to practically jump with enthusiasm. "Oh Mum it's so great! Wonderful! Brilliant! I can't behrly believe it. I won!"  
  
"Calm down sweetie, what's happened? What have you won?"  
  
"The contest! I entered this young scientist essay contest a couple of months ago, I just found out today I won first place!" Keeping my big broad smile across my face I notice Maria and the trio watching my rapid change in attitude.  
  
"For the first place winner they get this whole load of science equipment and a check."  
  
"That's wonderful honey! How much is the check?" My mother asks, her full attention now on me.  
  
"That's the other thing I can't behrly believe mum, it's for ten thousand! I almost choked!"  
  
"Are you sure you got that amount right dear? Ten thousand on top of science equipment sounds.. Erm... a lot." Nancy says in a hesitant voice  
  
"Yes! I just went to the bank and it's already been deposited in my bank account! The science equipment was donated for the contest from big research laboratories. Isn't it Great Mum!"  
  
"Oh my, I think I need to sit down." Nancy mumbles as she grasps for a seat. "Second thoughts, I need to get to a phone!" Jumping up from the seat she heads to the kitchen. "I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU FATHER! This is so wonderful sweetie, I'm so proud of you! If you need me I'll be up stairs phoning everyone I've ever known! "  
  
With that she rushes through the doors and disappears. Turning around I see four puzzled faces looking at me. "Chica, you never told me you entered a competition." Maria says in a quite voice.  
  
Allowing my smile to totally evaporate and leave nothing but a blank expression I say. "Competition? What competition Maria? I never entered one. I had to explain something to my mother about where the money I've now got has come from."  
  
Before she could get another word out I turn on my heal and go through the doors my mother just went through, and up to my room.  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Tap tap.  
  
'What's that?'  
  
Tap tap.  
  
Getting up out of bed I realise someone's outside on my balcony tapping on my window. Looking at the clock I see it's only 10.30pm. It suddenly dawn's on me 'Damn it, how could I forget.'  
  
Unlocking the window I notice Michael sitting there. "Sorry, I forgot you were coming and fell asleep."  
  
"Whatever, what did you want and make it fast?"  
  
"Why? Got a busy schedule I don't know about to keep up with?" I retort, he just continues to sit there glaring waiting for me to speak.  
  
"Fine, that whole science contest hoax has got my parents jumping off walls with pride. I also just ordered from the internet a load of science equipment, including a laptop and some other fun things which I'll need soon."  
  
"And this has to do with me because?" Michael asks.  
  
"Well the suggestion I purposely put forward to my parents was, 'once all my science equipment arrives, where oh where am I to put it all?' Then I asked if I could clean out the basement and make it into my own little laboratory down there. The basement is absolutely huge, spans all the way under the Crashdown it even has a tiny bathroom at the back, only problem is that the wirings shot, it's filled with junk from decades ago and seriously needs to be more than re-painted. So when I offered to have it all fixed up myself they jumped at the chance since neither of them want to clean the stuff out."  
  
"Still waiting to hear what this has to do with me?" he says fidgeting about on the windowsill.  
  
"How would you like a job, which is high paying, and its product will help me to eventually get rid of our enemies in a small way."  
  
Stepping back from the window I gesture for him to come in and sit down on the edge of the bed. Going to my bedside I turn on the lamp and fill the room with a warm yellow glow of light.  
  
"This is the thing Michael, I have got a hella lot of things to do in under two years all by myself, even with your help it's gonna be a tight time frame to work within.  
  
I've got to dodge the FBI and there special unit, stop alien parasites called gandarium from killing everyone on earth, destroy the Universal Friendship League which is actually a very large group of skins working for Kivar, and tons of other things that make my mind spin. On top of that I still need to deal with the whole Nasado and Tess issue.  
  
Basically, I need a base of operations, somewhere I can have the apparatus and space to do the tests and experiments I need to do, not to mention training myself. I have to also do all this without having to worry about being bothered by people or other people becoming suspicious of it all, that's why I said I won the contest and was getting sent science equipment as part of the prize, so that people wouldn't wonder where I was getting all the stuff from."  
  
Taking a deep breath I go over to him and sit on the edge of the bed as well.  
  
"Michael, you're going to need money for the new apartment that you're going to be getting soon and I need someone that I can trust to help me work on some of the things down there."  
  
"You want me to be a handyman basically, is that it?" he asks with a frown.  
  
"Yep, basically, also if your going to be working down there so much it will be easier to explain why we're hanging around together so much, we can just say I was discussing what I wanted done to the place." I say shrugging my shoulders.  
  
"Ok, so when do we start this then?"  
  
"Well, tomorrows Friday and my parents are leaving that afternoon for the weekend to go to some restaurant convention and won't be back till Monday. That gives us quite a while to get most of the work done."  
  
"Why do you want them to be away when we start the work if they've already given you permission to make the place yours?" he asks with a confused expression.  
  
"Because I don't want them to see the eight hundred dollars worth of wood and wooden furniture I'm having ordered in arriving, I told them I won ten thousand because that's the highest sum they would believe I could have won, even though I have WAY more than that in the bank. I'm going to be buying a lot of expensive things in the next few weeks and I need to explain most probably to my parents where the moneys coming from. I'm basically going to be embezzling money from myself if that makes any sense.  
  
You're going to have loads of fun over the weekend Michael wooding out the concrete floor down there. Not to mention the shelves I want put up, the corner work bench for all the science equipment, the computer desk in the alcove, and now I'm thinking about it a TV would be a great thing as well, you could put up a little partition sectioning it off in one corner and I could have a horseshoe shape couch around it."  
  
I stop talking when I see Michael wince at the thought of all the work his going to have to do.  
  
"Don't worry Michael, I don't expect all that done over the weekend, just as long as the wooden floor gets laid over the concrete I'll be happy. It's been years since my parents have been down there and even more years since anyone has bothered to sweep the floor, so I'm going to tell them when they see it the floor was there to begin with and we just polished it up."  
  
Seeing Michael shaking his head still I start to wonder if he really is that adverse to work.  
  
"Max is gonna kill me." he says now looking off into space.  
  
"What do you mean?" I ask gradually becoming more curious with the mention of Max's name.  
  
"His behrly been talking with me as it is after you pulled that stunt saying I was your true love.  
  
I've never seen Max lose his temper once in his whole life, but I could of sworn he was going to blow any second for the next two days after that. The fact you picked my lap to jump into and not his upset him big time, even when I pointed out if you had jumped in his lap he would of ended up with a black eye from Kyle he was still pissed at me.  
  
So can you imagine how hard his gonna ride me if I start hanging out with you. Maxies dream girl."  
  
Choking back my laughter I start to see Michael's point. "Don't worry Michael, I'll make sure to give Max enough to think about so that he behrly notices you." I start to laugh again at seeing Michaels confused face. "Don't ask Michael. You really don't want to know the kinds of things I've got planned for Max."  
  
Chuckling to himself he turns to me again. "Your really are hung up on him aren't you?"  
  
"Yeah, not that I will openly admit it to anyone other than you, but I'm Crazy 4 Max." The last part coming out as no more than a whisper.  
  
"Why is it then that you always seem so pissed at him when his around? Or more correctly pissed at everyone." He asks  
  
"What can I say, I'm a girl with issues." I say with a shrug. Seeing that his not going to accept this as an answer I continue.  
  
"A lot of things will go bad between Max and I in the future if I don't stop them. He'll say he will love me no matter what, and then the moment things get rough he'll break us off, refusing to forgive me. When he ends up having sex with another girl and gets her pregnant he'll expect me to forgive him when he didn't show me any forgiveness at all in a much less serious situation." Resentment starts to flow in my veins at the memories.  
  
Glancing at Michael I see him wearing a baffled look. "Ok, I really don't understand most of what you just said Liz, but I can't believe Max would cheat on you with another girl, his not like that, I also know from first hand experience how crazy he is for you."  
  
The rage starting to slowly boil over within me I glower at Michael. "He wouldn't do that hey? He wouldn't do that! I'll just tell you what his capable of; he swore to me I was his one true love and then a couple of minuets later I find him kissing another girl. When he gets a damn little message saying they're meant to be together he'll let me walk off without even a fight to keep me.  
  
A future version of himself will make me ruin my life for something that will do no good anyways. He will lose all faith and trust in me without even trying hard to find out the facts. During MY prom he goes as MY date, but I will find him kissing another girl later on that night. Alex will be murdered by an alien, but he won't even acknowledge the idea that it's possible and will turn his back on me.  
  
He will then have sex with the girl he knows I hate more than life it's self and then to top that off she'll end up pregnant. I then discover that this whore is the one that murdered Alex and even upon knowing that he'll allow her to get away unharmed and unpunished for what she did. Then he'll want me to forgive him for it all, as if he was some fucking saint I should worship!"  
  
By this time I've gotten off the bed and am pacing fast up and down my room just looking for something to take my wrath out on.  
  
"Wait a second you said back in the pod chamber that the other alien in the pod, Tess, was the one that killed Alex, do you mean it was her that slept with Max?" he asks in a perplexed voice.  
  
"Oh, your powers of deduction never cease to amaze me Michael!" I strike out. I feel like every cell in my body is about ready to explode.  
  
"Hey, don't start attacking me coz you couldn't keep him from straying." Within a second I could see how much he regretted saying that when he saw my features.  
  
"DAMN IT! Don't you get it?!?! That bastard manages to hurt me whether I love or hate him, in the end he just doesn't damn well CARE!" Just as my last word finishes, it slightly echo's around the room, a little crunching sound takes it's place and starts to grow louder.  
  
Stopping my rant I look towards the door thinking I've woken up my parents, but the door's still closed. Both Michael and I look to see where the sound is coming from, within that second a loud shattering sound fills the room as the full length mirror I'm standing next to splinters into thousands of pieces.  
  
A few moments pass and we keep staring at the broken shards of glass on the floor. "What the fuck?" Michael mutters.  
  
I keep staring at the place my reflection was in shock. "What did you do Liz?" Michael asks in an awed tone.  
  
Snapping out of my astonishment I look up at him. "I. I didn't. do. anything.." I mumble. "Like hell you didn't Liz, what's going on? What aren't you telling me?" Michael says slightly agitated.  
  
"Michael, I'm as lost as you are about what just happened." Starting to get flustered I turn away from him and go sit on the windowsill.  
  
"Yeah right! First the handprint outside the cave appears for you and now this, there's something going on your not telling me about, you said the only powers you got were from when Max healed you and since he didn't heal you how the hell did you just manage to do that? Huh?"  
  
"I don't know Michael, I just don't know, that shouldn't of happened, it's impossible. I've already tried a few days ago after the cave incident to see if somehow I still have my powers, but it didn't work, I can't explain handprint or this." I say starting to get upset.  
  
He goes over to the mirror and kneels down picking up a bit of the glass. Looking up at me in a calmer voice he says. "Ok Liz, so you were unable to use your powers when you tried before, but this" waves the piece of glass at me. "proves different. For some reason outside the cave and just now you were able to access powers you aren't meant to have, what connects the two incidents?" Looking at me as if he expects the answers to fall from my tongue I just stare back.  
  
"I don't know Michael, I just told you that. I was just so angry about ready to bite your head off when I heard the glass shatter and." stopping in mid-sentence I feel the color drain from my face as something dawns on me.  
  
I feel Michael's eyes watching me intently waiting to see what I'll say next. "Outside the cave, just before you asked where the handprint was, I was getting angry over something that had happened in the past to me, I was about ready to boil over when you called to me, just now was the same but I actually boiled over this time."  
  
"What does that mean? You have on again off again powers that are triggered by bitchyness?"  
  
"I don't know Michael, I'm as lost as you are, if I'm ever gonna get some answers about what's going on I need to find someone that knows fully about the changes that happened to me the first time round. The only person I know that knows that is Ava."  
  
"The Tess dupe? I don't get it, what are you going to do?"  
  
"I guess I'm taking a trip to New York ahead of schedule." 


	6. Finding Your Way

Previously  
  
  
  
"What does that mean? You have on again off again powers that are triggered by bitchyness?"  
  
"I don't know Michael, I'm as lost as you are, if I'm ever gonna get some answers about what's going on I need to find someone that knows fully about the changes that happened to me the first time round. The only person I know that knows that is Ava."  
  
"The Tess dupe? I don't get it, what are you going to do?"  
  
"I guess I'm taking a trip to New York ahead of schedule."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Part 6  
  
  
  
I'm lost.  
  
Not actually lost though, since I had no clear destination in the first place, but after wandering around all morning in New York I feel lost.  
  
Sighing deeply I go over to a hotdog stand and buy one. 'What was I thinking? This is like looking for a needle in a hay stack.' Remembering how not thrilled Michael was when I told him I was going to New York brings a smile to my face.  
  
It was Thursday then, I left for the airport Friday afternoon and now it's Saturday morning, I have less than 48 hours to find them since I've got to be back by Monday morning before my parents. I distantly feel sorry for Michael having to start all that work cleaning up that trash heap all by himself. 'Oh well, what doesn't kill you can only make you stronger.'  
  
The day slowly drags on, my feet feel like lead and my clothes start to stick to my flesh. The amount of car fumes doesn't help me feel any better that's for sure. The sun begins to sink into the horizon and darkness creeps across the sky in a blanket of dark blue, hundreds of yellowy-orange lights slowly come on to light the streets and neon signs are switched on.  
  
It seems strange how the whole city changes after dark. Before walking down the busy streets trying to get past all the people hurrying on their way, loud sounds coming from every direction at me, is something that seems almost comforting compared to what it's been replaced with.  
  
The place seems quieter, more foreboding, people are now sparse on the streets and the people that are left make me nervous. Street walkers sneer at me as I pass, the few homeless people have blank hollow expression that seem to look right through you, and obvious druggies litter every corner making me want to cross the road every time to avoid them.  
  
'Ok, if I didn't know it before then I sure as hell know it now, New York's most probably not the best place for a girl to walk alone at night.'  
  
I go sit on some unoccupied steps, feeling my muscles ache all the more as I sit down bending my knees to give my feet a few minuets relief. I back myself up until I'm sitting on the top step, the doorway hiding me within its shadow I look out at the buildings across the road.  
  
'Think girl, your going to get no where wondering around all day hoping to bump into them. What other option do I have though? All I know about them is that their punk aliens that live in a sewer, not the best info to go to try and find them in NY. '  
  
Leaning back against the door I look down at my hands and play with one of the ring's on my finger. 'Ok, I know somehow, somewhere, for some reason, I still have my powers, but I haven't been able to access them so far unless I get angry. I also need to find that Alienchica, Ava, soon, after wasting my first day here doing nothing but wandering in circles I'm down to one day before I need to get back.  
  
Come on Liz, use that legendry brain of yours, how hard can it be to find them?  
  
It's not as if they will be in the phonebook to just look up, nor do sewers have home address, maybe they might have a criminal record? No. I doubt they would let themselves get caught, and even if they did, how would I gain access to their records anyways.'  
  
Sighing deeply and kicking a cigarette stub off one of the lower steps with my foot I think back to when Max and I got arrested. I had wanted to help him so bad that I would of done anything to please him, what a fool I was, running straight back into his arms. Even when I was standing before the judge and found out that he had been let off the hook, but I was now taking nearly all the blame I still didn't hold it against him.  
  
'What a fucking fool, both him and me.'  
  
The aching in my body is unexpectedly replaced with a tingling sensation, starting at my toe's and going through my whole body like a wave to the top of my head. Numbness is all I can feel as an instinctual anxiety settles upon me.  
  
Looking up at the street before me, my eye's scan for something on the other side of the street. A shrilled laughing voice catches my attention, my heart skips a beat when I realise I'm stareing right at Lonnie. Quickly I look at all the people anywhere near her, my hope fades when I realise only Rath is with her.  
  
Silently getting up I find my body renewed in vigour as I follow them down the street a little way behind. Crossing the street I near on them staying in the shadows as best I can, the dangers now forgotten I wonder if they'll lead me straight to the sewer they live in and what it'll look like.  
  
Instead I find myself in NY park veiled by a string of bush's and tree's. Crouching down on the soft dirt I watch them approached one of the park benches. Crawling a bit closer making shore that I'm well hidden from sight I silently gasp when I recognize two others that were sitting at the bench before hand, Zan and Ava.  
  
  
  
Zan POV  
  
'Why dis I buggin' like tis? The moment Rath and Lonnie showed up, dis like my skin wants to go left and my bone's right.'  
  
"Yo! Zan! Ya trippin' or somethin' man?" Rath yells.  
  
"You the only one trippin' 'ere Rath!" Zan barks back.  
  
"Whatever, you da man after all." Rath says in a sarcastic tone.  
  
"Yo! Pre-schoolers! Just 'cause ya male doesn't mean ya have to act like dumbass's" Lonnie snaps, looking at both of them and seeing that they weren't going to back down she turns away seeming bored to sit on the bench.  
  
"Why don't ya two shove off, me an' Ava were 'appyly chillin' till ya cam' along." Zan says, annoyance seeping into his voice.  
  
"Tis not as if we're stoppin' ya from leavin', ya are da man after all." Rath retorts taking a step close to Zan.  
  
Standing up and dragging Ava up with him he looks Rath "I ain't listenin' to dis shit no more, Ava, come on, leave em' till they stop buggin'."  
  
"Kay." Ava mumbles.  
  
With that Zan turns and walks away followed by Ava. "Yo! Ya just so da man Zan! With ya bitch followin' behind ya!"  
  
'Ya Rath, I'm Da Man, and I'll make ya remember it soon enough.  
  
Why'd dis frickin' weird feelin' not gone away yet?'  
  
  
  
Liz POV  
  
I stealthy follow them through the park listening to Zan grumble about something. It's so strange looking at him, I had only ever seen Rath, Lonnie and Ava before, but they had seemed so different from they duplicates in Roswell. Zan though, I can't put my fingerer on it, but his just more similar somehow, the way he walks, holds himself, seem so much like Max, rather than a complete opposite of Max.  
  
'Ok, sure that hair would take a lot of getting used to, not to mention the piercing's.' I softly chuckle to myself at the thought, when I look up I find that I'm now on the other side of the park and my prey have vanished!  
  
'Shit, keep your eye's on two punks, that's all you had to do Liz, can't even manage that.' I slowly jog out of my hiding place towards the gate leading out of the park. 'If they've gone to far ahead and I lose them in these streets I swear I'm gonna..'  
  
Not even getting a chance to finish that thought a strong pair of arms wrap around my waist and lift me slightly off the ground so that only my toe's are touching.  
  
"What da we have 'ere then?" a deep husky voice whispers in my ear.  
  
Struggling fiercely to get out of the grip I kick the guy hard in the shins, just as I'm about to scream for help his strong callus hand covers my mouth. 'I have not come all this way just to lose to some NY street thug!' Rage mixed with fear gives me another burst of energy to fight him.  
  
Kicking like a wild hellcat I bite down into his hand. Letting out a yelp of pain he lets go of me, our legs get tangled up in the process and we both crumple to the ground with a thud.  
  
Coming to my sense's I see the night sky above me dusted with twinkling stars, hearing a groan I realise my attacker is lying on top of me. Frantically I squirm to get out from under him.  
  
The light from one of the park lamps illuminates his face and I suddenly go very still. He makes another soft groan before turning his head to look at me and then I'm lost looking deep into his amber eyes.  
  
"Zan." I mutter. 


	7. Cornball

Previously  
  
Struggling fiercely to get out of the grip I kick the guy hard in the shins, just as I'm about to scream for help his strong callus hand covers my mouth. 'I have not come all this way just to lose to some NY street thug!' Rage mixed with fear gives me another burst of energy to fight him.  
  
Kicking like a wild hellcat I bite down into his hand. Letting out a yelp of pain he lets go of me, our legs get tangled up in the process and we both crumple to the ground with a thud.  
  
Coming to my sense's I see the night sky above me dusted with twinkling stars, hearing a groan I realise my attacker is lying on top of me. Frantically I squirm to get out from under him.  
  
The light from one of the park lamps illuminates his face and I suddenly go very still. He makes another soft groan before turning his head to look at me and then I'm lost looking deep into his amber eyes.  
  
"Zan." I mutter.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Part 7  
  
  
  
"How da hell ya know my name?" Zan murmurs.  
  
"I. urm." Another silence drifts between us and Zan looks curiously at me waiting for an answer.  
  
"Could you please get off me!" I say snapping back to reality and finding the pressure of his weight a bit too nice, I start to push him off. Before I get another chance to blink his off me and pulling me up with him.  
  
"So how da hell ya know my name?" he repeats.  
  
"What were you doing grabbing me from behind!" roar in outrage.  
  
"Betta' question tis what were ya doin' followin' us Cornball?" I spin around to face the direction of the soft voice that's coming from behind me.  
  
"Ava." I mutter.  
  
"Kay, so ya know who we are, how bout's ya name to make it even?"  
  
"Um. Liz. Liz Parker." I mumble still slightly shaken up.  
  
"Yo! I knew ya were followin' me, I wanna know why ya be followin' me and how da fuck ya know ma name?" Zan says cool and evenly.  
  
I stand there watching them watching me, I feel like an insect under a microscope and the way Zan's looking at like I'm his next meal isn't helping.  
  
"Well actually, it's kind of a long story. I've come all the way from Roswell New Mexico to find you."  
  
They look sideways at each other and then look back at me with apprehension.  
  
"Since your not going to come out and ask me it I'll answer it for you anyways, Yes, I do know your aliens!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
After growing up in a restaurant for most of my life and then working in one for the last few years you tend to have certain expectations of what a good restaurant is.  
  
Good food, no cockroaches, no mice, no rats, cleanliness, etc. this place though. I don't even dare to touch my food, the place is filthy, the waitress is spiteful, and I don't even want to know about the cockroaches, mice and rat issue. The cook's most probably spat in the food by the looks of it.  
  
Looking up from my plate across the table I see Zan and Ava devouring their food as if it was their last meal.  
  
"Yo! Ya gonna eat that cornball or what?" Ava asks eyeing my plate.  
  
"Help yourself." I say as I push the plate towards her, cringing at its contents.  
  
Looking back up I become anxious upon seeing Zan staring at me. Without breaking eye contact with me he wipes his mouth with an old napkin and reaches for his drink to take a sip.  
  
"Kay, let's say we believe ya story 'bout bein' from da future and all. Ya still 'aven't explained what's it gotta do with us. From da sounds of it, it's da dupe's in Roswell ya need, not us.  
  
Did ya come all tis way just for da hell of it?" Zan asks in a suspicious tone.  
  
"I'm here for two reasons actually, one's about you, the other's to do with Ava." With the mention of her name Ava finally looks up paying more concentration to the conversation.  
  
"What's da reason 'bout me?" Zan asks before Ava has a chance to say anything.  
  
"In your case Zan I'm here to give you enough info to stop your murder from taking place in the next year." I watch Zan as his eye's narrow upon hearing this and a small frown appears on his forehead.  
  
His facial expression dissolves into a smug smile as he leans back in his chair. "Dis that right? Someone gonna try to kill me? I'm Da Man, no one would ever get da chance."  
  
"Their not going to try to kill you Zan, there going to succeed in killing if you don't listen to me. Rath and Lonnie are the one's that do it." I cry in frustration at the stubborn idiot.  
  
Zan's body stiffens at this, his eye's become menacing and cold. "Ya trippin' they wouldn't dare."  
  
"Oh yes they would, in just over a year's time you four will get contacted by your home planet and they'll invite you to something called a summit. You will choose that it's best not to go, they'll not like that one bit so they decide to get ride of you and put Max in your place for the summit. You'll end up getting pushed in to the road and a mack truck will hit you."  
  
"Street Pizza? Damn.." Ava mumbles.  
  
"And how da ya know all this if ya were in Roswell at da time?" Zan asks angrily.  
  
"After Rath and Lonnie kill you they come to Roswell to find Max and bring Ava with them. When they finally get Max to leave he takes Ava's dupe Tess with him. Ava on the other hand told me that she feared what Rath and Lonnie might do to her since she was a lose end, they had no problem with killing you so she figured they wouldn't have any qualms about killing her either. So she stayed in Roswell and they left.  
  
I found her sleeping in a dumpster behind the Crashdown that night, after getting her to come inside and giving her some food she ended up telling me what happened to you."  
  
They both sit there staring at me trying to decide on something. "If Ava in da future see's me gettin' killed why don't she try ta help me?" Zan says in a cool voice taking a sideways glance at Ava and then back to me.  
  
"Ava told me she tried to stop it, she was really broken up about your death. She was having terrible nightmares and." I stop in mid-sentence when I hear Zan laughing. "Dat doesn't sound like da Ava I know! Ya actually almost had ma believing ya for a moment there."  
  
"I'm telling you the truth! While Ava was staying with me we became friends, she." Stopping again I realise Ava's now giggling along with Zan. "Me? Friends wit' a cornball like ya? As if!"  
  
'This is getting me no where, they just won't believe me.' At that instant an idea comes to me.  
  
"Ok then, I could keep talking till I was blue in the face and I still don't think you would believe me, what if I showed you instead?" I ask, they both go silent looking at me oddly.  
  
"Yo! What da ya mean by show us?" Zan asks  
  
"Max, your dupe, is able to do this thing called connecting, so I'm sure you can do it as well. Basically using your powers you can look inside my head at my memories and then you can see for yourself that I'm telling you the truth."  
  
Zan just keeps gazing at me for a while "Ya. I know what ya mean. Ya'd actually be willin' to let me walk around in ya head like dat?" he asks curiously.  
  
"Sure, I can't see any other way I can make you believe what I'm saying otherwise." I reply.  
  
"Kay, I'm game." He says, then before I get a chance to say another word his hands are on either side of my head and I'm caught within his eyes like a deer is in the lights of an on coming car.  
  
A strange pressure starts to build up within my head and things go fuzzy.  
  
~ Zan...the accident. The way his body just lay there in the street!~  
  
~ It's all my fault! I should have stopped it. I could have stopped it! I should have known. I should have known.~  
  
~ Just a feeling. I always felt like he was waiting for someone else to walk into his life.~  
  
~ Lonnie and Rath...killed Zan. And they're probably gonna kill Max.~  
  
~ Max brought you back from the dead. You've been changed.~  
  
~ Look, there ain't enough time to explain. You just gotta trust me here. If Max brought you back, then...you're different now.~  
  
Slowly I become aware of my surroundings again and break away from Zan's stare.  
  
Leaning back again in his chair I study his face wondering what he saw within my memories, his expression is an odd mix of hope and hate. A cold dread fills me at the thought he could have seen other things as well, things I would rather keep hidden in my memories.  
  
Breaking the silence he says. "She on da level Ava."  
  
"Kay, not sure if I wanna ask tis, but, what was da other reason ta do wit' me 'bout?" Ava asks.  
  
"Well, you see a few days ago I was meant to be shot, Max would of healed me if I hadn't chosen to avoid the bullet. When you came to Roswell Ava you told me something about Max's healing effect on me, you said it had changed me, I ended up developing powers like you guys but they were much weaker.  
  
Since I avoided the bullet this time around I figured that I shouldn't have those powers coz Max never healed me, that fact has been proven wrong it seems. Whenever I get strongly emotional, normally angry, I'm able to randomly access those powers without knowing it till it's to late.  
  
I never got a chance to ask the Ava in my timeline how she knew all the stuff about me having powers."  
  
'Ok, so that's an outright lie, I asked Ava plenty of times after she came back to teach me, but she would never tell me, but lets see how this pan's out.'  
  
"What I was wondering is do you know why I still have these powers even though I never got healed?" I ask.  
  
Ava's just sitting there staring blankly at me, I see out of the corner of my Zan's watching her as well. "Yo! I dunno know what ya talkin' 'bout. I behrly know bit's 'bout ma own power's let alone human's getting' tis shit as well!" Ava yells.  
  
"AVA, keep ya fuckin' voice down! We're in da public!" Zan scolds.  
  
The shock on Ava's face upon remembering where she is was almost comical.  
  
"Yo! let's get outta here and find somewhere else ta talk." Zan says eyeing the people in the surrounding booths.  
  
Getting up I open up my bag and pull out my purse. "What ya doin'?" Ava asks.  
  
"Paying for our food." I say, stopping my movements when I see them looking at me like I had just started doing the tango or something.  
  
"Ya, that works as well I guess." Ava replies.  
  
Zan seeing me confused says. "We were plannin' ta do a runner before they'd try ta bill us."  
  
While paying the bill I wonder if this place deserves any type of tip other than to redecorate. With that we turn to leave the shabby restaurant and head down the streets of New York.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Yo! So now what da we do?" Ave asks.  
  
Looking up and down the deserted road it almost looks like a ghost town rather than the buzzing streets of New York. "Now I guess I get a Taxi back to my hotel, get some sleep and pack my bags tomorrow morning for the flight home." I say melancholy.  
  
"So ya really came all dis way just ta ask Ava a question an' warn me? Zan says.  
  
"Yep, pretty much, shame Ava doesn't know anything, I guess it's something she hasn't learned about yet, but at least I got a chance to warn you of Lonnie and Rath so the trip wasn't a total waste of time." I say.  
  
"Why?" Zan asks.  
  
"Why what?"  
  
"Why do ya care what happens ta me?" Zan demands. "Ain't no one cared before."  
  
"I wouldn't be me if I didn't care." Fumbling around in my pocket I take out a scrap of paper and hand it to Zan. "Here, if either of you need to contact or find me this is where I'll be, it's got my address, phone number and mobile number on it, if you ever need anything or get in trouble just call, I could be out here by the next flight."  
  
They both look uncomfortable at what I just said and Ava starts to fidget around on her feet. Looking up at me hesitantly she asks. "So, ya tellin' da truth when ya say we were friends?"  
  
"Yeah, I was telling the truth. I guess, I better hail a Taxi and get going now." Turning around about to raise my hand for a Taxi to stop I have second thoughts and turn back around to them.  
  
"Oh what the hell, I don't care if you think it's silly." I say as I walk up to Ava and embrace her in a hug goodbye. I can feel how apprehensive she becomes not sure how to respond, but after a second or two I feel arms come around me returning the hug.  
  
"Yo! Ya not dat bad for a Cornball!" She says with a half smile playing on her lips as we pull away from each other.  
  
"From you that's defiantly a compliment!" I say giggling.  
  
Turning to Zan I find him uneasy and anxious all at once. 'His not sure if he wants a cuddle? Arh. poor thing!'  
  
Before he gets a chance to back away from me I embrace him in a hug as well, doing the opposite to Ava he quickly decides to wrap his arms around me gripping tightly to his body. "Do me a favor, avoid mack trucks and basket balls. I'll sleep better that way." I say jokingly.  
  
As I start to pull away he squeezes me tighter for a fraction of a second before letting go. I look towards Ava in a hope not to get spellbound by his eyes again. "You take care of him you hear." I say chancing a glance in Zan's direction.  
  
"Ain't got ta worry, I will." Ava says with a grin.  
  
"Yo! So ya just gonna go wait in a' hotel room now till ya flight?" Zan asks.  
  
"Yep, that's the plan." I say.  
  
"Don't sound like very good trip ta NY if dat's gonna be all ya do." Zan says with a smirk, I become nervous upon seeing a strange glint in his eyes again.  
  
'Damn, shouldn't of giving him a hug, his looking at me like his next meal again.' "Maybe not, but what else is there to do?"  
  
"Yo! Ya in NY and your askin' what else is da ta do?" Ava hollers, an out right smile now plastered across her face.  
  
"Kay, since ya like did us a service an' all, by comin' out here, we can at least show ya a good time! How 'bout it?" Ava asks sounding ecstatic. 'Damn she's a lot like Maria, but a punk version.' I think to myself gently chuckling.  
  
"My thoughts exactly." Zan mumbles but I hear him any ways.  
  
"Let's go to dat club we were last week Zan 'Reef' somethin' or other. We can show her 'ow ta really party!" Ava says getting really excited.  
  
"Why for some reason do I suddenly get the feeling I don't have a choice in the matter?" I mutter to myself.  
  
"Coz ya don't no more Babe." Zan teases as he hooks his arm round mine.  
  
'Lord! If your up there, I'm going to need your help!'  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Nightclub was crowded and draped in semi-darkness due to the low lighting. People are dancing madly in what looks to be some kind of giant mosh pit, Ava runs off into it and disappears within the swarm.  
  
Zan leads me to the bar and finds two empty stools down near the end.  
  
"So ya want anythin' ta drink?" Zan asks.  
  
"No thanks, I'm fine." A rough heavy hand appears on my shoulder as I'm talking and twists me slightly around.  
  
"Hey suger! What'cha doing with this freak when you can be with me!" The guy says. Shrinking away from his grasp I look at the guy, standing before me is some kind of preppy college jock, the sent of alcohol whiffs off him.  
  
"I'm Dave!" he says extending his other hand to me.  
  
"I'm so-not-interested!" I say brushing his hand from my shoulder and turning back to Zan.  
  
By this time I realise Zan is enraged, his face turning red right up to the tip of his ears and grinding his jaw he gets up and shoves the guy away from me.  
  
"Keep da fuck away from her dip-shit!" Zan roars.  
  
"Just doing my duty and rescuing her from a loser like you!" Dave yells back.  
  
A mini audience has gathered around to watch, then an icy dread runs through me when I look closer at Zan, his so furious at the guy, his stance slightly changes and he takes in a slow deep breath. Realization crashing down on me I recognize what Zan's about to do, his preparing to use his powers.  
  
'I've seen Max just faintly change like that just before he uses his.' Acting quickly before Zan gets a chance do anything stupid in front of a group of people I get up and loop my arm around his.  
  
"Zan, forget him, lets go dance." I say putting my innocent little girl voice into full action.  
  
The hostility rapidly draining out of him he looks down at me on his arm and I feel his muscles relax.  
  
"Whatever ya want Babe." Zan says with a smirk. "I ain't gonna be trippin' over tis bone-head when I could be dancin' wit' ya."  
  
Walking off in the direction of the dance floor fast, he tow's me along in one arm while he bashes his other shoulder into a stunned Dave.  
  
Things move around in a blur as we finally make it through the thong of people and on to the dance floor. Zan twirls me round to face him, I can feel the deep throbbing beat of loud music going all the way through my body giving me a almost liquid motion to my moves as I dance near him.  
  
Zan's hands slowly drift to my hips as we move pulling me closer to him. Wrapping my arms around his neck I get lost in his deep rich sweet sent, feeling my cheek brush up against his strikes up memories of how only a few days ago me and Max had been in the same position in the school hall way.  
  
Snapping back to reality I'm a little shocked to find what a compromising position his worked us into. Without even realising it I was grinding in to him or maybe he was grinding into me and I was just moving in response to him. I'm panicking, I know it, but I can't stop.  
  
One of Zan's hands glides up my tank top and along the small of my back where he gently rubs his index finger slowly up and down that part of my spine. My skin starts to heat up leaving me to feel like I'm going to melt into a puddle and I look up into Zan's eye's wondering if his doing something to me with his powers or it's just me reacting to the situation.  
  
His other hand snakes around the top of my thigh to cup part of my but pulling me closer to him while we're still grinding. It's then I feel it, the hard stiff bulge in his leather pants, unmistakable.  
  
Closing my eyes I think 'Damn I hope that's an ray gun and not what I think it is.'  
  
The soft caress of his lips is then on my neck and I instinctively arch my head giving him better access.  
  
'Danger, Will Robinson, DANGER!'  
  
His mouth moves gently up from my collarbone to just beneath my ear and he begins to suck tenderly on the flesh there. Unable to will myself to stop him I think back to how I was doing this to Max not so long ago.  
  
'God, Max, I'm cheating on him.' One part of my brain says.  
  
'Cheating on him? Your not even together yet!' another part of me agues.  
  
'This is wrong, Zan isn't mine, I shouldn't be doing this with another guy, let alone Zan of all people if I still love Max.'  
  
'Max cheated on you with that bitch and then said a few weeks later that he had loved you all along.' The other part quarrels.  
  
I'm knocked out of my inner conflict when I realise Zan's saying something to me above the loud music.  
  
"Yo! Babe! Liz!" Zan yells.  
  
"Yeah?" I shout.  
  
"Lets get outta here, there's a' place I know dat' we can go to be alone." He shouts back.  
  
It's then I see where we have drifted to on the dance floor, we're right at the back of the club next to one of the speakers. I'm aware of the lost of his hands around me and seeing him moving forward a few feet ahead of me to open an emergency exit into an ally behind the club.  
  
"Yo! Ya cumming wit' me?" Zan asks.  
  
My breath catch's in my throat as I look into his amber eye's trying to make my decision. 


	8. Damn that De Luca!

Previously  
  
  
  
"Lets get outta here, there's a' place I know dat' we can go to be alone." He shouts back.  
  
It's then I see where we have drifted to on the dance floor, we're right at the back of the club next to one of the speakers. I'm aware of the lost of his hands around me and seeing him moving forward a few feet ahead of me to open an emergency exit into an ally behind the club.  
  
"Yo! Ya cumming wit' me?" Zan asks.  
  
My breath catch's in my throat as I look into his amber eye's trying to make my decision.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Part 8  
  
"So what the hell happened Liz!" Michael shouts.  
  
I groan inwardly and continue to unpack my duffle bag. 'It's way to early in the morning for this.' "I told you, I found them, warned them, and left."  
  
"Oh, well if that's all that damn well happened why do you have a hickey on your neck!" Michael yells sarcastically.  
  
'Shit' I quickly run over to my mirror and check my neck. "Damn that Alien." I mutter. "Talk about karma coming back to bite ya in the ass."  
  
"What?" Michael asks confused.  
  
"Oh, nothing, just similar situation excepts I was the one to leave the hickey." I start giggling when I see Michael's baffled expression.  
  
"So are you gonna tell me what really happened now or what?" Michael asks in a serious tone.  
  
Sighing deeply I realise his not going to quit till he gets the story. "Ok, I found them, not to sure how I found them, but I did, I warned them and then they took me clubbing."  
  
"Clubbing? So how did you get the hickey?"  
  
"Things got, urm, a little heated on the dance floor between Zan and I." I say determined not to let more details than necessary slip out, he was still Max's friend after all.  
  
"Then what happened?" Michael asks prodding for more information.  
  
"He tried to convince me to sneak out the back with him but before I got the chance to decide whether or not to go Ava found us. A fast song came on and she dragged me on to the dance floor with her, I swear, Zan's head looked like it was about to explode with frustration.  
  
After that we left, said our goodbye's, and I got a Taxi back to our hotel. Ava said she didn't know anything about my so called power's, but I'm not so sure." I say.  
  
"And that's all that happened?" he asks in a tone that show's he doesn't believe that was all that happened.  
  
"Honest to God Michael, that's all that happened. Now could you quit acting like a mother hen!" I say frustration starting to clam me.  
  
"I'm just worried about you, you might have been in real danger from Zan if Ava didn't come along. Remember it was her you met in your universe and not him, I just don't want to see anything happen to you, I'd feel to responsible if something bad did happen." Michael says in a sincere tone.  
  
I feel touched that Michael has such a genuine concern for me especially knowing it's against his nature to admit such a thing. In a softer voice I say "Don't worry Michael, nothing's gonna happened to me, not yet at least. Anyways, don't you have more important things to worry about than little old me, oh lets say, your petition for emancipation?"  
  
"Smooth change of subject Liz." He says with a grin. "Max's dad helped me like you said he would, I'll be going before the judge sometime later this week.. That reminds me, aren't you even gonna ask?"  
  
"Ask? Ask what?" I say confused.  
  
"Come on." Michael takes my wrist a leads me off down to the Crashdown and through the doorway down the dark basement staircase.  
  
"Damn of course, what's the basement look like? Didn't destroy the place did you?" I ask jokingly.  
  
"You just better be paying me overtime, I had to put up with that damn De Luca all weekend, Alien invasion I'll believe, time travel I'll believe, but that me and her could ever become an item! Never!" He says frustrated.  
  
I'm forced to stifle back a giggle. 'Arh, the two love birds are already trying to kill each other, sounds like love to me.'  
  
I involuntary gasp at the sight before me, the once filthy, gloomy, abandoned, junk heap of a basement was now a washed in white light with all the rubbish gone looking almost unrecognizable.  
  
Michael goes to the edge of the door way and touches something and the lights grow fainter so that I can see without squinting.  
  
"Sorry about that, I forgot I left the dimmer on so high." Michael says.  
  
"Dimmer?" I ask turning around to face him.  
  
"Yeah, I figure, if your gonna redesign a room, redesign it in style." He says with a smirk.  
  
It's then that I truly have a look around to see what his done. A beautiful light wooden flooring covers the whole floor, what had once been dangling light bulbs from the ceiling were now skunking bright white bulbs. On my left a dark blue couch has been unevenly placed still rapped in it's protective plastic covering. In front of me I see the half constructed desk and worktop almost ready to be fastened to the wall. Loads of big box's are stacked high in the right-hand corner of the room which I can only guess to be my science equipment that's arrived.  
  
"Impressive, you've been busy." I say with genuine awe.  
  
"It's not as if I have a family that worries about where I am or anything, since you gave me a key to get in the back door I pretty much came and went as I pleased. I was able to get work done and avoid the hurricane that desperately was seeking you."  
  
Giving him a puzzled look he continues. "Hurricane De Luca has been searching for you like a blood hound, I had to keep saying she had only just missed you, etc, to get her off my back, I think she thinks I killed you or something coz she wouldn't believe you hired me to do anything until that shipment of wood turned up."  
  
"Damn, she must of put you through hell." I say now openly giggling.  
  
"Nah, she actually gets cuter when she's angry." He says chuckling.  
  
Stopping in mid giggle I try my best to put on a serious face and say "So you think she's cute huh?"  
  
"Er, no, I mean, maybe, but annoying, very annoying." He jumbles out.  
  
I crack up into a fit of laughter at seeing how agitated he now is. "Ok Michael, let's dropped it for now and get back to the job. When are you gonna paint the walls" I ask looking at the beige pealing paint that's currently on them.  
  
"When you buy the paint!" He says bitterly.  
  
"Ooops, oh yeah, forgot, I didn't think you'd get this far this fast. I guess even I'll be able to help you with that, you can be paint brush boy and I'll be Rollergal." I say mockingly.  
  
Michael just stares at me. "Fine be that way then." I say in fake outrage. "Go on, shoo I've got to get ready for school now anyways and my parents might be back soon from their convention." Nudging him out the room and up the staircase I make sure to turn off the lights while bracing myself for the ordeal that awaits me at school. Maria.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
"So? What the hell do you have to say for yourself? Huh?" a furious Maria practically shouts in the hallway.  
  
"Maria, could you keep it down, and I'll explain." I say while trying not to gawk at Alex by her side. It's only now that I realise Alex is actually here, I mean, I knew it before, but I had gone years without seeing him that having no Alex around was almost natural. Now his here standing right in front of me and I'm fighting the urge to hug him in the middle of the corridor with the whole student body watching.  
  
"Keep it Down? KEEP IT DOWN? You've avoided me for over a week, talked to me like I was a bit of dirt, I haven't seen hide nor hair of you over the weekend, you suddenly hirer Michael Guerin to work on something down in you basement that the jerk wouldn't even let me see, have mass's of stuff arriving for you in trucks and you want me to keep it down?" Maria yells.  
  
"Maria be quite and she'll explain, won't you Liz?" Alex asks, his eye's pleading.  
  
"I've just been under a lot of pressure. You see." 'Think fast Liz!'  
  
"I have a surprise for you two." I stutter out.  
  
Maria goes quite and relaxes a bit. "Surprise? What surprise?" she asks almost politely. "It better make for a damn good explanation girl about what's been up with you."  
  
Not being able to resist the temptation anymore I go up to Alex and slip my arms around his waste giving him a teddy behr squeeze. "Well you see, a lot's happened over the last week, it all started when I invested some money in some share's in business class and.."  
  
'The almighty trick to lying well is to make sure you don't lie more than you have to.'  
  
"So you see, now I have so much money and I couldn't just go up to my parents and say hey I got it from investing in some share's, they would of gone ballistic. That's why I made up that phony competition thing, the reason I kept snapping at you was coz I was so totally stressed over the whole mess.  
  
I felt totally lost about what to do with all the money, and then I came up with the idea of setting up our own little den that we could all hang in. My parents have been planning to do it for years but never had the time, so I've done it instead. I hired Michael to clear out the whole basement and help me turn it into a top quality place to spend time. It's gonna have a TV, mini science laboratory for me, a computer desk complete with the most top notch computer out there and anything else you guys want.  
  
The reason you didn't see me over the weekend Maria is coz I've been totally run off my feet ordering or picking up some of this stuff for you guys. I wanted it to be a surprise, but I guess me acting all PMSy hasn't helped in doing that. Sorry."  
  
Looking at both of them I give them my puppy dog eyes and revert once again to my trusted innocent little girl voice. 'Now, I wonder how stupid they are? Will that actually buy it?'  
  
Untangling my self from Alex I step back to look at them unable to read their expressions, I have a sudden fear they might not of believed my story, then with a sudden squeal Maria launches herself into me hugging my body tightly stopping my air supply. "I knew it, you're always the greatest friend right down to the core. How could I ever of doubted you Chica! I just wish you hadn't hired such an annoying jerk to do the work, he actually had the nerve to lock the basement door when I tried to get down there and told me to go back to doing my 'flaky' waitressing, at least now I know why."  
  
'Suckers' I think to myself.  
  
"I'm so sorry, do you guys forgive me for ignoring you and snapping for the last few days?" I ask in a beautifully sincere tone.  
  
"Course we do Liz, we wouldn't be your friends otherwise." Alex states a slight grin on his face.  
  
"Good, now that's all settled, when can we see this new room?" Maria asks raising one eyebrow.  
  
"How about later tonight?" I ask in a peppy voice trying not to grind my teeth at the thought.  
  
"Kay, it's a date then girl!" Maria says with a bright smile on her face.  
  
I hear the bell go for my next class. "Well gotta go, got biology now. See you tonight if I don't see you sooner." I say turning around to my next class I wonder what Max is wearing today.  
  
  
  
Maria POV  
  
I watch as she goes down the hallway and turns the corner, only then allowing my smile to fade away. Looking up at Alex I ask, "What do you think?"  
  
"I think she was lying, your right, something's going on with her that we don't know about." Alex states.  
  
"Well, it don't matter, I'm gonna get to the bottom of this one way or another, whatever she's hiding we're gonna find it out." Maria vow's storming off to her next class with Alex following behind her.  
  
Once they were gone Michael closes his locker door looking at the space they had just been standing at a few feet away.  
  
"Damn that De Luca!" Michael grumbles.  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
Link to diagram of basement(I got bored, so what?):  
  
http://www.geocities.com/midnight_magi/the/Roswell_Basement.html 


	9. There is a God!

Previously  
Maria POV  
  
I watch as she goes down the hallway and turns the corner, only then allowing my smile to fade away. Looking up at Alex I ask, "What do you think?"  
  
"I think she was lying, your right, something's going on with her that we don't know about." Alex states.  
  
"Well, it don't matter, I'm gonna get to the bottom of this one way or another, whatever she's hiding we're gonna find it out." Maria vow's storming off to her next class with Alex following behind her.  
  
Once they were gone Michael closes his locker door looking at the space they had just been standing at a few feet away.  
  
"Damn that De Luca!" Michael grumbles.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Part 9  
'Oh, I'm off to the Evan's,  
  
the wonderful Evan's of Ros.'  
  
I speed up the pace of my walk as I near Max's house. 'Some ones gonna be surprised to see me.' I think to myself.  
  
I make a mental note not to stay to long since I've still got to deal with Michael later on tonight and the Maria-Alex duo when they come round mine. I just simply can't resist taunting Max though, I could of jumped over the moon earlier today in Biology when the teacher said we had to work with our lab partners on a project this week.  
  
Max already had his feathers rustled before hearing this after I accidentally grazed my hand smoothly across his ass. The poor thing couldn't even make eye contact with me afterwards when I was talking with him about our project.  
  
"So Max, I'll come round yours sometime this week to make a start on our assignment?" I ask flashing a seductive smile at him, but it totally gets wasted since he swiftly finds something incredibly interesting to watch on the floor.  
  
"Uh, sure, kay. I gotta go." He mutters just before turning in the other direction walking off at light speed.  
  
"Mr Maxwell Evan's, you should have been taught better than to turn your back on a woman when she's talking to you." I mumble watching him vanish down the corridor.  
  
Reaching the Evan's front door I knock softly awaiting Max's shocked face upon seeing me. 'Well I did say I'd come round sometime this week to make a start on our assignment, I just didn't say how soon was all.  
  
My bubble is burst when Max's mum answer the door and not Max himself. "Uh, Hi Mrs Evan's, is Max at home?" I ask polity.  
  
"No, I'm afraid his not right now, he just popped out to get something, but he'll be back in a few minutes most probably. May I ask who you are?" She inquires, looking me over to see what kind of girl is calling for her son.  
  
"Oh, I'm Liz Parker." I say sweetly. "Me and Max were meant to be working on a biology assignment together, I told him I'd be coming round, but I guess he forgot." I say putting a little melancholy into my voice and giving her the doe eyed look.  
  
"Oh I seriously doubt Max would forget about a beautiful girl like you, his never had anyone other than Michael around before, it must of just slipped his mind when I asked him to go out, his my little Angel Baby, always so helpful. Why don't you come in and wait for him dear." She says giving me the look, that look parents give when they are planning to pair you up with someone.  
  
'Ha, I guess this is quite the monumental shock for her since Max only hangs with Isabel and Michael. I bet Mr. and Mrs. Evan's even think Max might be gay or something.' I stifle a chuckle at the thought as I go in.  
  
"So. Liz, tell me something about yourself, what do you want to be in life?" She asks trying to start up a conversation.  
  
"A molecular biologist. With my grades I should be able to get a scholarship into Harvard to study it there." I say, knowing that has just earned me loads of brownie points in her eyes.  
  
"That's wonderful, you must find." She stops upon hearing the kitchen phone ring. "Sorry, Liz, I'll just go answer that."  
  
"Sure." I say pleasantly. She goes off in the kitchen and I look around the living room vaguely while trying to overhear the phone conversation.  
  
"Hi Honey... Oh no, not again... you can't?.. Ok, I'll be right there... Bye Honey!"  
  
She rushes back into the room and grabs her car keys that were lying on the table. "I'm so sorry to have to do this Liz, but Philip, my husband, car's just broke down, I've got to go collect him, you don't mind waiting here for Max by yourself do you?" She asks hurriedly.  
  
"No, of course not." I say sweetly trying to hide my anticipation upon hearing that.  
  
"Ok, I hate to rush out like this and just leave you here, are you sure you'll be ok on your own?" She asks concern in her voice.  
  
"Don't worry Mrs Evan's, I'll be fine, I'm sure Max will be home any minute now anyways."  
  
"Alright then, bye, I shouldn't take too long." Is the last thing she says as she dashes out the front door.  
  
'Alone at last.' A sly smile creeps across my face. 'I wonder what Maxy keeps hidden in the darkest corners of his room. Having some dirt on him will defiantly be fun.'  
  
Walking on down the hall I open Max's door taking a few steps inside and fumble for the light switch. The room fill's with light and I look around at the scene before me. 'For a guy he keeps his room remarkable neat.' Closing the door behind me I start my search through his room.  
  
'Ok, if I was a teenage male alien where would I hide the juice bits?' I briskly work through the room, searching under the bed, the wardrobe, the closet, rummaging in the draws, but to no avail.  
  
'Damn, what kind of teenage boy is he? He doesn't even have any porn stashed anywhere.' Frustrated I turn off the light cloaking the room once again in darkness, making my way over in the gloom to the chair in the far corner I slouch down into it.  
  
'Well this is a barrel of laughs. At least I'll be able to give Max a little shock when he comes home.' As if on queue I hear a thud in the distance of the front door being shut.  
  
"Mom! I'm home!" I hear Max's muffled voice shout.  
  
A couple of minutes pass before I hear anything else, then the door knob turns and I hold in a breath, while my eyes strain across the room to see him through the shadows. A silhouetted figure walks in closing the door behind him and walks over to the bedside unit groping around for something.  
  
Hearing a small click noise, the room becomes partially filled with an orange light from a lamp next to the bed. I sit back in the chair softly letting out the breath I was holding upon seeing Max. The angles of his face and body are highlighted with the orange light leaving the rest of him shrouded in shadows.  
  
Turning around back to the door I watch as he locks it and removes his jacket flinging it onto the edge of the bed. It's only then I realise he hasn't even noticed me sitting in the dark corner of his room, I quickly pull back the temptation to announce my presents to him when he starts to unbutton his shirt slowly.  
  
A devilish smile grows on my face as his shirt drops to the floor and he begins to peal off his t-shirt. Inch by inch his rippling muscles are slowly revealed, a perfect specimen of male beauty stands before me and I realise that I'm holding my breath once again. Wanting to see how far this little strip tease will go I watch as he unbuttons his jeans and opens the fly to pull them down. I choke back a chuckle as the song from 'Gypsy Rose Lee' starts playing in my head at the sight of him.  
  
Before I know it Max is sitting on the edge of his bed in nothing but his boxers with his back to me. I watch the silky flow of muscles move as he fumbles around for something in his bedside draw.  
  
Finding whatever it is in the back of the draw he lies flat on the bed with one arm bent around to support his head and another holding a thin piece of white card. He stares at it for a few moments before letting out a faint sigh.  
  
It's then I realise his holding a photo, looking so deeply at it, longingly. I almost flinch physically at seeing the tent in Max's boxers slowly form. 'Damn, why didn't I search the back of that draw thoroughly for porn. Then again this is far more better to watch then to just find a nude picture of someone.' I think to myself.  
  
Max removes his hand from behind his head and caresses the front of the photo lovingly, I watch in astonishment as his hand slowly slithers from the picture, down his strong abs and under the waistline of his boxers.  
  
If I wasn't hot and aroused already by this whole scene, then I certainly was now. He softly groans looking at the picture as he slowly rubs himself under the layer of cotton. His breathing becomes heavy and uneven as he starts to pump himself harder.  
  
I watch wide-eyed as the most erotic scene unravels before me.  
  
'Shit, there is a God,  
  
And his delivered unto me a masturbating Max!' 


	10. Biology Work

Previously  
  
Max removes his hand from behind his head and caresses the front of the photo lovingly, I watch in astonishment as his hand slowly slithers from the picture, down his strong abs and under the waistline of his boxers.  
  
If I wasn't hot and aroused already by this whole scene, then I certainly was now. He softly groans looking at the picture as he slowly rubs himself under the layer of cotton. His breathing becomes heavy and uneven as he starts to pump himself harder.  
  
I watch wide-eyed as the most erotic scene unravels before me.  
  
'Shit, there is a God,  
  
And his delivered unto me a masturbating Max!'  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Part 10  
Totally transfixed upon the sight of Max, I sit awe struck unable to keep my emotions from running high at the spectacle of him.  
  
Slight groans escape his lips as a mask of pure pleasure emerges upon his face. I start to fidget around in my seat a bit, far from comfortable as I feel a strong pang within me pull. My skin almost spontaneously combusts when his whole body starts to tremble and jerk.  
  
The groans become louder as his eye's become half hooded looking at the picture. I can't behr it anymore, forgetting all logic and games I come to a decision.  
  
"I'm not interrupting anything am I?" I say in a cool even voice.  
  
His eyes shoot up from the photo in a panic, his gaze setting upon my shadowy form in the corner. I lean forward slightly so that some light is cast upon my features. The sheer and absolute terror that is in his stare is almost tangible, I bite my lip trying to hold back a laugh knowing it will kill all my chances at having a little fun with this situation.  
  
"Liz." He croaks out hoarsely.  
  
As if the realization that I'm not some figment of his imagination finally registers, he swiftly withdraws his had from his boxers and drops the photo in his other hand in a desperate attempt to get up off the bed.  
  
'Ha, fat chance Maxy.'  
  
Just as his getting off the bed I make my pounce, literally.  
  
Completely dazed, his head looks left to right hurriedly, realising his suddenly laying flat on his back in bed again, with me straddled over his waist.  
  
Looking up at me in utter shock I can't help but to smile. Before he gets a chance to say so much as one word, I grind myself down on his now semi-hard member, eliciting a soft involuntary groan from deep within him.  
  
Noticing the overturned photo he was masturbating off to besides my knee, I automatically reach for it to see what he found so arousing.  
  
My gasp brings him back to reality as he sees me holding the picture in my hand.  
  
"Liz. I. can. explain." He stutters out in a panic.  
  
"Eww. that is, like.. So gross Max." I say with obvious distain. "I mean it's like a two year old photo, and looks terrible. What were you thinking?"  
  
"I. well. just.. couldn't find. others." He whispers, then snapping back into his senses he looks at me like I'm insane.  
  
"Liz, what the hell are you doing here? In MY room?" Max bites out in a stern voice.  
  
"Shhh.. Be quite." I say in an annoyed tone not bothering to look at him as I continue to stare at the photo.  
  
I feel his body tense beneath me at my words. "How could you of chosen this picture out of all the possible pictures you could of gotten a hold of I will never know." I say shaking my head.  
  
"I mean, the day I had this taken at school I wasn't dressed tidily, my hair's a mess, I'm wearing not even one spec of make-up. Ewww."  
  
"You always look beautiful." Max mumbles to himself and chokes slightly at realising he had just said that aloud.  
  
I can't help but smile down on him at those words. A few moments of silence pass between us and I become fully aware once again that I'm still pinning him to his bed. 'Oh well, might as well make the most of it. Not gonna get this chance again in the near future.'  
  
Still straddling his hips I lean forward, brushing my chest against his. "What was your fantasy Max?" I ask in a seductively low voice.  
  
He makes a strange gurgling noise upon hearing this and just lies there gawking at me in alarm.  
  
Taking the initiative once again I bend down even closer to him, allowing my full weight to press down on his muscular chest.  
  
"What was it you were fantasizing about when you were touching yourself?" Repeating for a second time "What was your fantasy Max?" I whisper right next to his ear.  
  
"Liz." He murmurs almost pleadingly.  
  
Taking no pity on him whatsoever I continue my assault. "Where were we Max? In your bedroom? In my bedroom?? Somewhere else???"  
  
"In. In my bedroom." He says in such a low voice I behrly hear it.  
  
"And what were we doing? Touching each over? Me touching you? Having full- blown intercourse? Orals? Tell me Max." I whisper huskily.  
  
"Liz. Please." He stammers, not even sure himself what it is his pleading for.  
  
"Tell me Max!" I say in a bit harsher voice.  
  
"We. we were doing, it, in my bed." He says, sounding almost as if he was on the brink of tears.  
  
"It? So we were having sex then?" I say in a sultry voice.  
  
"No! We were making love." He splutters out quickly.  
  
"More details Max, I want more details." I whisper roughly in his ear.  
  
"Liz, no, get.. get off me please." My lips curve into a smile, that feeble plea doesn't sound real even to my ears.  
  
'I bet his fantasized about this happening a thousand times, and now it is, his chickening out, such a guy thing to do.' I think to myself. 'Not this time Max, I'm having way to much fun to give up right now.'  
  
"You sure about that Max? You want me get off?" I say mockingly.  
  
Before he gets a chance to reply my hand hastily sweeps down his body and cups his groin giving it a gentle squeeze through the cotton fabric.  
  
His body jerks up into my hand instinctively as I begin to rub him in one of his most sensitive parts.  
  
"Liz! What are you do.?" He moans.  
  
"Shhh.. Just relax." I coax.  
  
He gives into my ministrations as I start to stroke him more vigorously and he becomes harder with each passing moment. Mimicking the speed he was using earlier on himself I ask "Do you want me to stop Max?" already knowing the answer.  
  
"No." He says without hesitation, a tremor running right through his body showing me his not to far off from release.  
  
Grinding my hips down upon him causing my hand to press even harder against him he lets out a harsh gasp of pleasure.  
  
"Shame for you then." I snap in a cold voice. His eyes instantly open at my callous words.  
  
Sliding off the bed fast I pick up the picture of me and wave it in his face for a second. "I'll be taking this if you don't mind." I say tauntingly.  
  
Going to the door I unlock it and take one last look back at my poor Max in total shock and heartache, not to mention un-fulfilled, before leaving through it and down the corridor.  
  
Opening the front door to leave I almost walk straight into Mrs Evan's coming in. "Liz! Are you going so soon? Hasn't Max shown up yet? " She asks with concern.  
  
"Oh yes Mrs Evan's, Max turned up a while ago, we. have already finished the first part of our 'biology' work, I'll come round another day to finish off the rest with him."  
  
Hearing footsteps behind me I turn to see a petrified Max fully clothed. "Mum! Uh, urm, this is Liz." Max says gesturing towards me quickly.  
  
"Yes I know dear, we met earlier when she came round, your dad's car broke down again, so I had to leave her here, his at the garage right now praying it won't cost to much to get it fixed again." She says with a chuckle. "Liz was just telling me how you two have been working on your biology together." She says casually.  
  
'Priceless, absolutely priceless is his face.' I think to myself as I watch him pale at the mention of this and giving me a panicked sideward glance he turns back to his mother as she continues.  
  
"Why don't you come over for dinner sometime this week Liz, I would really like to get to know Max's other friends since I've only ever met Michael before." She asks.  
  
"Urm, mum, I'm sure Liz doesn't want too.." Max starts, but I cut him off by saying.  
  
"I'd love too Mrs Evan's, how about this Wednesday?" I ask, not believing my supreme luck.  
  
"Ok then, it's settled." She says beaming while Max stands there, his expression unreadable.  
  
'Just you wait Max Evan's, just you wait, we haven't even begun to tango yet.' I think to myself as I leave the house saying my goodbyes. 


	11. Uninvited Guests

Previously  
  
'Priceless, absolutely priceless is his face.' I think to myself as I watch him pale at the mention of this and giving me a panicked sideward glance he turns back to his mother as she continues.  
  
"Why don't you come over for dinner sometime this week Liz, I would really like to get to know Max's other friends since I've only ever met Michael before." She asks.  
  
"Urm, mum, I'm sure Liz doesn't want too.." Max starts, but I cut him off by saying.  
  
"I'd love too Mrs Evan's, how about this Wednesday?" I ask, not believing my supreme luck.  
  
"Ok then, it's settled." She says beaming while Max stands there, his expression unreadable.  
  
'Just you wait Max Evan's, just you wait, we haven't even begun to tango yet.' I think to myself as I leave the house saying my goodbyes.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Part 11  
  
I feel bubbly.  
  
'After teasing the hell out of Max, especially in front of his mum, I feel so much better.' As I approach the Crashdown and go around to the back entrance a spectrum of ways to torment Max in the upcoming dinner arise within my mind.  
  
'Jezz, I think I might actually have a spring in my step after all that. I wonder what Max has done with all that pent up sexual frustration?' My mind drifts to bishops and trimming the lamp shade sort of things as I enter the dark kitchen all closed up for the night, only to be shocked out of my train of thought by a high piercing scream.  
  
I freeze where I'm standing and tense up trying to figure out where the scream came from, only to have the sound followed by a sharp smashing sound of shattering glass coming from down in the basement.  
  
Opening the door and hurrying down the dark staircase I listen to pieces of a heated argument.  
  
"You Pig Headed, Chauvinistic, Bastard!" I hear a voice yell, which is unmistakably Maria's.  
  
"That's rich coming from a Stuck-up little Bitch!" Michael shouts.  
  
"Y-you. How dare you call ME a bitch! Your nothing more than a Neanderthal!"  
  
"Better that than looking like some cheap tart!"  
  
Reaching the bottom of the staircase I survey the scene before me and choke back a laugh. Right in the center of the room Michael and Maria stand practically in each other's faces looking like they're about ready to kill one another. Standing off in the corner of the room near the unpacked boxes Alex stands also watching the scene with an almost fearful expression.  
  
Crossing my arms and leaning on the side of the doorframe I watch the battle with amusement. Something sparkling catches my eye on the floor near them and I see what must have been between 3 or 4 glasses shattered on my lovely new floor.  
  
'So that's what made the breaking sound' I realise. Funny enough the fact my exquisite new room could have been damaged is adequate to sober me up out my entertained state.  
  
'Guess I'll have to stop this before they actually destroy something valuable'  
  
"I hate to break up this lover's tiff, but could you all please tell me what your doing here?" I ask in a loud voice trying to be heard over the fight. They both go quiet for a few seconds looking at me and then say in unison. "Where the Hell have you been!"  
  
A bit taken back by their double outburst I uncross my arms and walk into the room.  
  
"Thank God Liz, I though they were gonna kill each other!" I hear Alex say in a mock serious voice as he comes over into the center of the room besides Maria.  
  
I suppress a chuckle at seeing both Michael and Maria's so-not-amused faces glaring between Alex and me.  
  
"Liz, where the hell have you been? You said you was gonna meet me and Alex here later this afternoon so you could show us this 'wonderful' new basement of yours, and it's now later this EVENING!" Maria's rants emphasizing the words with her hands.  
  
"Shit" I mumble. "Damn sorry guys I completely forgot."  
  
"And you said you were gonna meet me later this afternoon to help me with some of the work down here Liz." Michael says, sounding irritated.  
  
"Damn, gezzz.. Sorry guys, I got caught up with something else and forgot I was meeting you." I say.  
  
"What on earth made you completely forget and turn up a few hours late?" Alex's asks in a more subdued tone.  
  
"Oh, erm. me and Max were working on our biology together." I say noticing the curious look Michael gives me at hearing this. I quickly add. "We have a project in science due soon, so I went over his house to get a 'head' start on it."  
  
Maria sighs rolling her eye's "Ok, whatever, you gonna give me and Alex this grand tour now?"  
  
'Wow, that was easy, she's just given in.' I think to myself.  
  
"Coz so far I've only seen Michael's ugly face up close and personal and that's something I can live without for sure." She finishes wrinkling up her nose at him and turning back to me.  
  
"It wasn't much better from this side of the fence either DeLuca, aren't you girls meant to wear foundation or something to hide crappy complexions like yours?" He says before heading over to the couch and slouching back on it giving her a cocky smile.  
  
"Why you inbred little." Maria starts, her voice rising higher with every syllable.  
  
"Ok, ok, I think we all get the idea, you'd like to see each other dangled over shark invested waters. Now could you both cool down so I can give you and Alex the grand, yet very short tour, and then I can help you afterwards with the work Michael. Kay?" I say in my compromising tone.  
  
"Ha, the sharks would take one look at her and swim a mile in the other direction, not to mention being traumatized for life." Michaels says sarcastically, watching with glee as Maria gets all flustered and storms over to him, starting the fight all over again.  
  
"Damn Liz, we're going to need a referee for those two soon." Alex mumbles in my ear.  
  
"Not if the two love birds delve into smooches first before one can arrive." I mumble back.  
  
I can't help but laughing at the sight of his disbelieving face. "Ten bucks Alex says they'll be seriously making out within the month." I say confidently. "Ha, your on, this is one bet your gonna lose Parker." Alex laughs smugly.  
  
Surprisingly enough the rest of the night went quite smoothly. After World War 3 had ended I had a lot of fun showing them the place, from the horseshoe couch for the TV, to what would be my science desk, to the bathroom, the what-was-to-be training area and not to mention Alex's happiness at helping me unpack all the computer hardware and setting it all up, loving my Apple Laptop.  
  
Even Michael seem contented only grumbling when I missed something about the room that had taken him age's to do, getting almost electrocuted to death 'by the shoty wiring job'. Something he said about that meaning a woman must of done the wiring set Maria off again, and yet it did not go unnoticed by me, nor I think Alex, that Michael kept hovering near Maria all the time and seemed to be deliberately provoking her.  
  
*~*  
  
I look up from my diary when Maria starts complaining about some customer between gritted teeth. I turn around on my stool to see who she's complaining about, but don't see anyone in particular so turn back to the counter shrugging at her.  
  
"Damn it Liz, why can't I just quit like you did, if something doesn't change soon then we are gonna have a few dead customers, I can just see the headlines now, 'Waitress Pushed Over the Edge!' then the article goes into the gruesome description of how she stabbed them to death with a spoon!"  
  
"My heart does soooo not bleed for you Maria, but if you want to change places with me flipping burgers be my guest." Michael yells from the kitchen wiping his hands down his new apron.  
  
"Yeah, I can just see you Guerin wearing one of the waitress uniforms, springy antenna and all." Maria snaps back.  
  
Ignoring their current fight I go back to writing in my diary.  
  
~So I talked with my dad and got Michael his new job so that he'll be able to pay for his apartment once his emancipation is finalized.  
  
But I must say the highlight of my day has been running into Max this morning at school. He stopped me in the corridor wanting to say something, but the poor dear was so tongue-tied it was unbelievable. Who would of thought I guy could go so red with embarrassment.  
  
He never did get a chance to tell me what he was gonna say due to the fact while he was trying to talk I reached in my bag and pulled out 3 recent photos of me. 'Here you go Max' I said 'Take these three way better photos of me as replacements for the very bad one I nicked from your room.' His jaw was kinda hanging off its hinges at this point when I shoved the pictures in his hand and his eye's kinda glazed over with hesitation.  
  
I stood there staring at him for a few moments wondering if he was gonna keel-over, but sure enough he snapped out of it and turned one of the deepest shads of red I had ever seen on a person. He still wasn't able to form any cohesive words by the time I had walked away, didn't see him for the rest of the day after that. I wonder if he was avoiding me? Nah!  
  
Oh well, it doesn't matter either way since I'm having dinner over his tomorrow, 'Thanx Mrs Evan's for that invite' so I figure I've got to do something that will really.~  
  
"Liz!"  
  
'Damn, can't I even finish my diary entry in peace?' I think to myself.  
  
"Yeah Maria?"  
  
"So we still on for Friday night to go see a movie with Alex?"  
  
"Sure Ria, I already said it was gonna be my treat, don't sweat, you and Alex can even pick the movie." 'Even though it's getting on my nerves now I must admit I did actually enjoy their company last night, something's off though, both Maria and Alex have become too subdued. Neither of them are asking questions about me anymore, or the stuff I'm doing, something's going on and I'm gonna find out what.' I mull over while watching her finish off wiping down the counter.  
  
'Well if they're my only problem, at least things can't get any worse.' I reason.  
  
It's then Maria's hand stops wiping the counter as if frozen. Looking up at her I see a shocked expression plastered on her face staring at something over my shoulder.  
  
Then a high-pitched female voice hollers from behind me.  
  
"Yo! CORNBALL!"  
  
'I just had to jinx it by saying 'things couldn't get any worse' didn't I?'  
  
(A/N: Tanky is forcing me to walk the plank if I don't post soon, and now I'm writing a new part to this story finally so I thought I might as well publish the rest of this story so it's up to date before posting a new part to the net.) 


	12. Family Ties

Previously  
  
"Sure Ria, I already said it was gonna be my treat, don't sweat, you and Alex can even pick the movie." 'Even though it's getting on my nerves now I must admit I did actually enjoy their company last night, something's off though, both Maria and Alex have become too subdued. Neither of them are asking questions about me anymore, or the stuff I'm doing, something's going on and I'm gonna find out what.' I deliberate while watching her finish off wiping down the counter.  
  
'Well if they're my only problem, at least things can't get any worse.' I reason.  
  
It's then Maria's hand stops wiping the counter as if frozen. Looking up at her I see a shocked expression plastered on her face staring at something over my shoulder.  
  
Then a high-pitched female voice hollers from behind me.  
  
"Yo! CORNBALL!"  
  
'I just had to jinx it by saying 'things couldn't get any worse' didn't I?'  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Part 12  
  
Things go into slow motion as I turn around and see a blue haired New York punk staring back at me. Getting up out of my seat I take two steps towards her looking at the strange pierced face, before deciding to rush towards her and embrace her in a teddy bear hug.  
  
This once again, just like before it takes her completely off guard and its a few moments until she returns the hug in a more meagre way.  
  
"Ava! Oh My God, what are you doing here girl?" I say with a grin, surprised at my own enthusiasm to see her.  
  
"Yo! Quit it Cornball, ya makin' a scene!"  
  
Taking a step back I give her a lopsided grin tilting my head ask. "Since when have you cared about making a scene?"  
  
An almost thoughtful expression crosses her face and then she looks back at me and says, "Yo! Ya right!" Then taking me off guard this time she embraces me in another hug.  
  
"Hey, don't Da Man get som of dat lovin'?"  
  
I detangle myself from Ava and look at the new person which has just enter the Crashdown.  
  
I stare at him for a moment with a puzzled expression taking in his punk cloths, spiky hair and pierced facial parts, wondering why this stranger seems so familiar. Only when I meet his eyes, those beautiful warm amber eyes, do I realise who it is, Zan.  
  
"Damn, is that you Zan?" I ask in bewilderment. He looks like Zan, but at the same time he doesn't look like Zan. His facial features seemed to have been changed slightly so he looks similar to my Max, but not so similar that it seems like their twins.  
  
"Yo! Who els' dis as irresistible as da man?" He asks with a cocky grin and I have to bite my tongue and not reply 'Max.'  
  
"Urm. Liz? Who are these people?" Maria asks from behind me giving both Ava and Zan a dirty look after taking in their appearance. "I mean, I didn't know the circus had come to town."  
  
I see the rage instantly build up in both of them at this quip and decide not to let World War 3 break out here by stepping in. Also the issue of how both Ava and Zan might fight back worries me. I didn't go through all this only to have the whole aliens exist in Roswell thing blow up in my face again.  
  
Quickly going over to Ava and Zan I link arms with each of them and say, "Maria, I would like you to introduce you to my cousin Ava. and her boyfriend Zan, they're coming to stay here for a while."  
  
I feel Zan's arm muscles tense at being introduced as Ava's boyfriend but choose to ignore it.  
  
"What? You don't have a cousin called Ava." Maria states getting slightly flustered.  
  
"Yes I do Maria, I'm sure I must of told you about her before." I say in a sincere voice. "I mean my mother has been planning for her arrival for the last two weeks or so."  
  
"What?!?!" Maria asks flabbergasted with my excuse. Then her face going completely serious she looks at me and says in a cool even voice. "I don't believe you."  
  
I softly chuckle at Maria's response and let the comment roll off me like water. "Don't be so silly Maria." I say in my most patronising voice.  
  
Turning to Ava I give her a look that tells her she better play along with this and say, "Ava, why don't you go up stairs to see your aunt Nancy, she's going to go nuts trying to get your room together since you've arrived early." Then leaning forward I give her another hug and whisper in her hear. "Mind warp her into believing that you're her niece."  
  
Pulling away I turn around to feel Zan's heated gaze upon me. "Yo! Ya still ain't given me any of dat lovin'" He says in a cocky way.  
  
Giving him an almost shy smile I lean forward and give him a hug as well. It feels so strange hugging him, almost like I'm cheating on Max just by doing this. 'Ha, cheating on him, your not even really with him, so you can't cheat on him.' A little voice in my mind points out, but the feeling doesn't go away, so I'm grateful when the moment comes when I can pull away from him, but just as I do start to pull away he grips me a slightly bit tighter for a moment, seemingly almost trying to breath me in, before he lets go.  
  
I take a step back and give him a bemused look before turning round to Ava and saying, "You better take him along with you in case he starts any trouble." Nodding my head in Zan's direction and Ava sends me a grin.  
  
"Kay, I'll keep Da Man from screwin's dis town up." Ava says smugly giving a side-glance to an uneasy Zan.  
  
"Yo! I don't cause no trouble." He says in a little boy voice and I can't help but laugh as I watch him try to pull off looking all innocent, but then he finds himself being dragged towards the back of the Crashdown by Ava.  
  
I swallow down my giggles at the scene of Zan being towed off by Ava when I see Maria's pissed off expression staring back at me and brace myself.  
  
"You. have never. told me about a cousin called Ava before Chica, and I'm pretty sure I know all the family you've ever mentioned."  
  
"Well then I guess there was one I forgot to mention or you have forgotten me telling you about her." I say sarcastically, finding Maria once again getting on my nerves.  
  
"Liz." She says sounding like she's almost choking on the word. "Please tell me what is going on with you, it's like we don't even know each other anymore.. I want my best friend back." For a second, only a second her words strike deep within me and I suddenly wish I could just sit and tell her everything like we would in the old days, but I'm quickly drawn out of my revelry when the icy touch of reality hits back into my mind.  
  
Looking her straight in the eye I say. "Maybe we're better off this way Maria, have you ever thought of that?" I fight back tears when I see the same emotions I'm feeling mirrored in her expression of hurt.  
  
Turning away from her and heading towards the back, I flee from her and the memories that she's stirring within me about a past that hasn't even happened yet.  
  
'A past I will never let become the future, even if I have to give up on all my friends.' 


	13. Nothing Left to Lose

Ok, sorry about the delay folks, I'm currently pissed at ff.net, I paid for those 'extra' services they keep on advertising quite a few weeks ago and they have yet to update my account. I have sent repeated e-mails to them, to their two different addy's, and have yet to get a single reply let alone explanation or account update. I'm not a happy Bex. (Bex reaches for Taz gun and goes looking for a member of ff.net staff) I'm hunting wabbits!  
  
Starlet Angel ((Question, is this possibly going to be a Liz/Zan pairing? B/c with the way you have the character relationships set up, they'd make a beautiful pair. And an Ava/Max pairing could work, if she was the "original." Then maybe everyone could get their happy ending. It's just a suggestion/question. ))  
  
Sorry but if that happened it would defeat the object of this being a M/L fic, but don't worry, just coz it's M/L doesn't mean Zan's not going to give Max hell, and a run for his money in the battle of Troy-Roswell style! There's a reason I'm setting up a strong Liz/Zan feel to the story due to something that will transpire later when Tess comes on the scene. but that's all I'm gonna say.  
  
Previously  
  
"Liz." She says sounding like she's almost choking on the word. "Please tell me what is going on with you, it's like we don't even know each other anymore.. I want my best friend back." For a second, only a second her words strike deep within me and I suddenly wish I could just sit and tell her everything like we would in the old days, but I'm quickly drawn out of my revelry when the icy touch of reality hits back into my mind.  
  
Looking her straight in the eye I say. "Maybe we're better off this way Maria, have you ever thought of that?" I fight back tears when I see the same emotions I'm feeling mirrored in her expression of hurt.  
  
Turning away from her and heading towards the back, I flee from her and the memories that she's stirring within me about a past that hasn't even happened yet.  
  
'A past I will never let become the future, even if I have to give up on all my friends.'  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Part 13  
  
"Yo, dis place is kickin' Liz" Ava says smiling looking round the basement. "Course it needs ma talents ta make it perfect."  
  
"I'll think I'll pass on that one Ava, for now." I reply.  
  
"Fine, ya loss."  
  
"Wit dis bein' da restaurant and d'all, can we get som grub?" Zan says gruffly leaning against the doorframe.  
  
"Sure, go upstairs and help yourself to the Crashdown food." I motion to the staircase avoiding eye contact with him.  
  
"Yo! Get ma som ta Zan." Ava shouts over her shoulder as she heads over the boxes on the worktop, poking and prodding the equipment inside.  
  
Zan grumbles something unintelligible before turning and jogging up the stairs. Turning back to Ava I almost have a heart attack at seeing her handle a piece of my science apparatus carelessly, a piece of apparatus that costs close to three hundred dollars to replace.  
  
"Da ya really know what all dis shit does?" Ava asks eyeing me.  
  
"Yes I do." I say quickly snatching the object out of her hand before she breaks it.  
  
"Yo! Chill! Didn't know ya could d'ave maternal instincts to gear like dis." She says mockingly and I just scowl at her slightly before breaking out into a smile also seeing the funny side to it.  
  
Walking over to the sofa she collapses down on it looking at the ceiling. "So what did dat Maria cornball do to piss ya off? Spit in d'our drink or somethin'?"  
  
"No she hasn't done anything really, I just want to keep her at arm's length is all." I say in a shaky voice.  
  
"So why yous trippin' so bad?"  
  
"It doesn't matter, what I want to know is why you and Zan are here? What's happened? Where's Lonnie and Rath? And how long you staying?" I ask watching her head turn and eyebrows rise.  
  
"Yo! I ask ya one question and ya trip bout dit, but ya ask millions and want ma to answer?" I give her a warning look that she chooses to ignore.  
  
"Hey, I'll tell ya what ya wanna know if ya tell me why dat blond cornball ruffles ya feathers." She says sounding like some slick car sales man about to nab another sucker into a bad deal.  
  
"It's a long story, just tell me why you two are here?"  
  
"Nuh Ah, I's like long story's, and is dit da crime for ol' friends ta visit?" She says with a smug smile.  
  
"Old friends?" I repeat raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Ya, ol' friends, and as ol' friends ya gonna tell me what I wanna know or I's gonna talk ya inta an early grave."  
  
I feel my shoulders sag and let out a sigh feeling the fight drain out of me. In a soft voice I mumble, "fine." and go over to her sitting on the couch.  
  
"Remember what I told you about the future I came from?" I ask and watch as she nods her head.  
  
"Well I left out a few, urm. quite a few little details." I say hesitantly dreading this conversation and I feel my stomach lurch deep down as I see her nod again urging me on.  
  
"After Tess, your dupe left, Max didn't precisely go totally fanatical about finding his son. Yes he did try at first, hell we even got sent to prison due to an incident gone wrong trying to find this damn spaceship under a convenience store, but 'eventually' Max accepted the fact he would never find his son and decided to make a life with me. I was so fucking weak willed that I let him come back with open arms. Pathetic REALLY didn't sum up what I was like back then, but everything for a while was so good. We were happy again, together, Maria's and Michael's relationship was, urm, quite rocky, so was Isabel's marriage, but we didn't really care, after all the pain, all the heartache we were together again and we vowed nothing would separate us. Then a few months later, I." Choking on my words I send Ava a helpless look.  
  
"I became pregnant, with Max's child. We were young, and worried about what to do, but we were so happy and we both were determined to make ourselves a family for our daughter, our beautiful little daughter that was growing inside of me.  
  
It was like the last gray cloud was lifted off us and the sun shone even brighter than we could remember before. The baby was growing fast though, faster than a normal baby, we had yet to tell our parents, or figure out how we were going to support our daughter. It didn't really matter though, the smile that became permanently pinned to Max's face and the divine feeling of having a little life growing inside of me was so wonderful.  
  
I should of known though, I should of known that something that good couldn't of lasted in my life. Just like clockwork, the moment I believed nothing could ever ruin this perfection, it happened, and it was Maria's fault!" I say finishing with a sob.  
  
"W-what happened?" Ava asks hesitantly fumbling around with her hands getting more and more anxious as the seconds draw on.  
  
"Maria had followed in the footsteps of her mother and became a herbal fanatic, one night, after the Crashdown closing time she gave me this herbal tea that she heard helps ease the discomfort pregnant women have.  
  
W-within a few seconds of taking the first sip I doubled over on to the floor in pain, it was an agonizing ripping, tearing pain in my womb. Something was horribly wrong with the baby, it was dying and there was nothing I could do to stop it from happening. When blood started pouring out of me onto the floor Maria freaked and called Max, then helped me upstairs somehow to my room.  
  
Max, Michael and Isabel turned up a few minutes later, but by that time the bed was also covered in blood. Max tried to heal me but couldn't. we only found out much later that the tea Maria had given me had contained two certain herbs called pennyroyal and tanzy, which were abortive herbs. They were also the two herbs that had been used in this thing called 'the sweat' that the Indian's do on the reservation that made Michael very ill once, and now they were killing my baby coz Maria fucked up.  
  
I-I. h-had. a. m-miscarriage." I stutter out, not being able to contain the pain anymore. Ava scoots over to me a bit closer and holds my hand unsure of what to do.  
  
"Damn, dat's really fucked up, no wonder yous trippin' bout dat Maria chic." She says quietly.  
  
"HA! That's not even the end of the matter, it gets a whole lot worse.  
  
Only about half an hour after my miscarriage the talk actually turned to how they were going to hide the evidence! Because they couldn't let anyone do any tests on the fetus and find out it's not completely human. I didn't know if I should just lay there in shock that they were calling my dead baby an IT and discussing about how they should safely get rid of IT, or to start screaming my head off at them.  
  
The really screwed up thing was though that Max started the conversation, Michael came over and held my hand, Isabel was pale and seemingly in shock. When Michael didn't answer Max's questions on what to do Maria butted in and gave her opinions on what to do suggesting it would be safest to burry it out in the desert. For Christ's sake! I had just lost my baby and Michael was comforting me when Max should have been. I stayed the same fucking passive little Liz though, and agreed Max knew best.  
  
T-they buried her out in the desert, with just a round stone on the grave as a marker. Then things started to unravel even more, after the loss of his daughter Max once again became obsessed with finding his son, and eventually left Roswell and me to go find him.  
  
As for Maria, I never really again said a word to her, even when we were captured after the invasion of earth and put in the same fucking prison cell, I refused to talk to her. I think that was one the factor's that added to her choice of committing suicide in there. I know it wasn't truly her fault, that she would of never intentionally hurt my baby, but it doesn't change the fact in my mind that if it hadn't been for her damned tea, or if she had at least researched the herbs more thoroughly before giving them to me I would of still had my daughter and Max. I know that she's not even the same Maria, that she's completely innocent in all this, but hate is a hard thing to get rid of after you've lived with it for so long." I say bleakly, my face now expressionless stained with dry tears.  
  
"Yo! Now I get why yous freaking so much about lettin' nothin' go wrong dis time round." Ava says with a look of concern.  
  
Then straitening my spine and raising my head I say in a forceful voice, "And believe me, this time round NOTHING shall go wrong,  
  
I will have My 'Happy Ever After' and I swear if anyone stands in the way of that happening the authorities will never find their body.  
  
I have nothing left to lose." 


	14. Confrontation

Previously  
  
"I know that she's not even the same Maria, that she's completely innocent in all this, but hate is a hard thing to get rid of after you've lived with it for so long." I say bleakly, my face now expressionless stained with dry tears.  
  
"Yo! Now I get why yous freaking so much about lettin' nothin' go wrong dis time round." Ava says with a look of concern.  
  
Then straitening my spine and raising my head I say in a forceful voice, "And believe me, this time round NOTHING shall go wrong,  
  
I will have My 'Happy Ever After' and I swear if anyone stands in the way of that happening the authorities will never find their body.  
  
I have nothing left to lose."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Part 14 A  
  
Warm breath,  
  
Scorching flesh,  
  
My mind can't concentrate clearly as our tongues duel fiercely.  
  
'This isn't meant to be happening.' I argue with myself, but carry on anyway as his strong arms wrap themselves tighter around my slim body, and he delves deeper into my mouth, tasting every little bit of me sucking gently on the tip of my tongue.  
  
The intensity of everything becomes too much, and that's when the first flash hits, and I see stars, stars so beautiful and bright, the ones I thought I might never see again.  
  
But this isn't meant to be happening, I'm not meant to be doing this, I'm meant to be in control, a control that is slowly slipping away.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Earlier that Night: Zan Confrontation  
  
"Let me get this straight, Nicolas turns up in your sewer a few days ago and says he knows of a way to get you, Lonnie, Rath and Ava home. Lonnie and Rath are all gun hoe on the idea, while you and Ava freak because things start happening the way I said they would?"  
  
"Yo! How many time's I's got ta tell ya? Dat's da way it happened. I's decided ta blow da joint in case I's wined up street pizza, and da Ava stray, decided to flow."  
  
"Hey, just checking. It messes with my head when alien's start popping up unexpected is all." Turning towards him I study his face again still perplexed about how I didn't know it was him when he appeared in the Crashdown. "What I still don't understand is why I didn't recognise you when you first came in?"  
  
"Alien mojo."  
  
"I kinda figured that part out, something like Ava's mindwarping?"  
  
"Nah, dat makes ya see somethin' dat's not really there. What I's did was let everyone see what was there, but not let them realise what they were really looking at."  
  
"Kay, now that's an alien power I haven't heard of yet."  
  
"I's bet I's got loads of alien power's ya haven't heard of yet? Wanna play alien probin'? Defiantly educational." He says while wiggling an eyebrow.  
  
"Sorry, got other plan's luckily." I reply hoping to shut him up before he gets a chance to drag my mind down into the gutter as well.  
  
"So where's you's goin' all dressed up so's pretty?" Zan asks with a smirk leaning on my doorframe as I continue modelling my dress in the mirror trying to decide if I should wear it or not.  
  
"Actually if you must know I'm having dinner at Max's house."  
  
"My dupe? What's he got that I 'aven't?" Zan drawls out as he walks across the room wrapping his arms around my waist from behind.  
  
"My interest." I reply coolly.  
  
"I's had your interest not to's long ago." He whispers huskily grinding his pelvis into my behind.  
  
"That was then, this is now. That dance was the wrong thing for us to do."  
  
"Oh? And why's dat?" The irritation obvious in his voice.  
  
"For one, as much as it annoys me sometimes, I'm in love with Max. Second, you belong to Ava, she loves you and."  
  
"Dat bitch loves getting fucked by me, nothin' more."  
  
Breaking out of his grasp I take a few steps back and turn to look at him. "Well that's your problem then Zan, but I want Max, and I've sworn from now on I will get all the things I want."  
  
With that I turn and leave the room with determination, trying to focus on the dinner I'll be having with Max in a few minutes in an attempt to block out the grief-stricken look Zan just had in his eyes.  
  
It doesn't help that I can feel the same pull towards him that I feel when Max is around, it's confusing as hell. I look up, expecting it to be Max, but it isn't, it's someone wearing his face, with a hungry look as his eye's rake up and down my body. Even when I'm not looking I know when his doing it my skin will tingly and. no, bad thoughts, focus.  
  
His still not Max though, never could be. Max is not only what I want, but also what I need. I've loved him for to long to give up now, especially when I quite literary have a chance to start our relationship over.  
  
Zan could never replace Max.  
  
'Could he?' A small voice in my head whispers.  
  
Zan POV  
  
Shaking my head to get this fucking sorrowful feeling outta me I remember I'm Da Man, I don't take shit like dis.  
  
"I's get all the things I want too Liz." I mutter to the space where she was just standing. Steeling my resolve I go over to her bed and lay down on it looking up at the ceiling with my hands behind my head.  
  
A sly smile crawls across my face as a plan starts to takes form.  
  
"And I's want you Liz Parker,  
  
My dupe be damned."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Later that Night: Max Confrontation  
  
"Tell me."  
  
"No."  
  
"Tell me!"  
  
"Quit it Michael!"  
  
"Not until you tell me Liz!"  
  
"Why the hell do you want to know anyways?"  
  
"I'd like to have a rough estimate on how long I'm gonna live for that's why!"  
  
"You're over reacting."  
  
"No I'm fucking not! I don't know what happened tonight at that damn dinner but after the enraged phone call I got earlier from Max that I couldn't even understand, I'm guessing you've dropped me in some shit again with him. I mean 'did' I mention to you want happened last time when you broke up with Kyle and pulled that stunt jumping into my lap saying I was you one true love in front of everyone, I thought Max was gonna kill me after that."  
  
"It was nothing, after dinner we just got into a 'little' conversation, your name might have been mentioned once or twice."  
  
"Shit Liz, what did you say?" Michael runs a hand through his hair nervously starting to pace up and down the floor of his new apartment.  
  
"Nothing, I said nothing, Max was the one that brought your name up into the mix, I guess he took my teasing the wrong way."  
  
"TEASING?!?! What goddamn teasing? And should I be expecting him to come in here during the middle of the night to beat me into a bloody pulp, coz from the sounds of him in that phone call I'm finding that a more and more likely possibility."  
  
"You really have been spending way to much time with Maria, you're starting to pick up her overly dramatic habits." At that he shoots me a withering glare clenching his jaw tight.  
  
Changing battle tactics he comes over to the couch and sits opposite me. "Please Liz, I'm begging you, and I have never begged anyone in my life for anything, PLEASE tell me what happened to get Max this pissed?"  
  
Letting out a sigh of exasperation I give in. "Fine, I'll tell you what happened."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Earlier that Night: Max confrontation  
  
"It's so nice to meet another friend of Max's." Mrs Evan's says cheerfully putting the food down around the table.  
  
"Yeah, that brings the grand totally up to two now if you count Michael doesn't it son?" Philip Evan's says jokingly.  
  
I smile, Max frowns.  
  
"Would you like some help with that Mrs Evan's?" I ask in my politest voice gesturing to plates of food she's bringing out.  
  
"No thank you dear, it's sweet of you to offer though, these three never lift a hand to help me until the dinners eaten, oh and call me Diane."  
  
"Ok, Diana." I say smiling, the smile growing even larger when I look across the table at Max and Isabel sitting there flabbergasted. 'Always good to have one, if not both of his parental units in my back pocket.'  
  
Seeing Isabel snap out of her stupor first I lean slightly back in my chair and wait for the games to begin. "Could someone please again explain to me why we have the Roswell High School Geek here?" she says looking at me like a piece of filth.  
  
"ISABEL, how rude! Apologize this instant!" I hear her mother snap while keeping eye contact with Isabel, a spiteful grin passes across my face quickly as she is forced to apologize. 'Sweet.'  
  
The dinner continued after that ok, only a lot more subdued due to Isabel behrly speaking. Max almost choked on his food when I ran the tip of my toe up and down his ankle. The Evan's parental units think I'm the best thing since sliced bread and commented on how I should come over much more. Both Max and Isabel choked simultaneously upon hearing that. I just smiled sweetly and said I would make sure to take them up on their offer.  
  
"Mom, can I 'please' be excused now? There's some. stuff in the biology assignment we got at school that I need Liz's. help with." Max stutters out.  
  
"Of course dear."  
  
"Urm, Diane? Are you sure you don't want me to help first with the washing up or something since you made that lovely dinner for me and all." I say putting all girl scouts to shame.  
  
"Oh that's so sweet of you to offer Liz, but don't worry, Isabel will help me, WON"T YOU ISABEL?" Once again she wears that wonderful blond gob- smacked look and dumbly nods towards her mother. "Good, so you go and help Max with his school work, I hope he gets a good grade."  
  
"Don't worry, Max is an ace in the Biology department, he just lacks self- confidence." I say winking at Max.  
  
He quickly leads me out the room after that in case I make anymore comments which aren't as subtle. That brings us to the current situation, we've been standing here now in his room for the last few minuets not saying a word. Personally I'm enjoying watching him fidget, then pace up and down the room, then fidget some more, but I guess all good things got to come to an end at some point.  
  
"So Max, nice weather we've been having lately don't you think?"  
  
This stops him in his tracks instantly and he gives me a look that's past boarder line annoyance. "Liz, what the hell is going on with you?"  
  
"Such nice sunshine all day long, not a cloud in the sky." I continue on ignoring him.  
  
"Liz, this isn't funny, I want to know what on earth you think your doing?"  
  
"But then again, this is the desert, so I guess loads of sunshine is pretty much a gimme."  
  
"LIZ!"  
  
"I heard you the first time Max." I say sitting down on his bed resting against the head board. "Hey, this bed is way more comfortable than mine, I didn't get a chance to appreciate that when I was last on it. No wonder you fantasized about doing me here, in my bed you'd get a spring in your back."  
  
"LIZ!!! Could you possibly shut up for a moment and answer my question?"  
  
"Bit of an oxymoron Max."  
  
"LIZ!"  
  
"Quit it Max, I only have one name and at this rate you're going to wear it out." Seeing that he is about to lose it at any second I raise my hands in defeat. "Ok, Ok, Max I give, let's play I little game of quid pro quo, you ask a question, I answer it, then I ask a question and you answer it. Ok?"  
  
"Whatever, just please tell me what's going on with you, why your acting like this?"  
  
"Simple I didn't like the old me anymore and decided to change, personally I think the new and improved version is much better."  
  
"I don't."  
  
"Arrrh. now Maxy, don't fib, you weren't saying that a few days ago when you were begging me to continue masturbating you on this very bed."  
  
"Liz! Why are you doing this to me? Are you trying to drive me insane, is all this some kind of joke to you?"  
  
"Now Max, that's three questions, and it's my turn now, quid pro quo, remember?" Snuggling the small of my back deeper into the pillow I put on a false thoughtful pose. "Now what to ask? Ok, currently where are those three photo's I gave you to make up for the one I took of me?"  
  
"Liz. please, just stop this."  
  
"Max, answer my question."  
  
"Can't you just please."  
  
"Max, my question!" I say getting bored of him evading it. Getting up I slowly walk towards him, every step I take, he takes another back. In the end he ends up with his back pressed against the wall and me hovering just in front of him. "Max, just tell me were those photo's currently are? Are they in your bedside unit?"  
  
"N-no." He stutters out.  
  
"Then where?" I ask in a sultry voice.  
  
"Please Liz, stop this."  
  
"Max! Where?"  
  
Hitching his breath he glances towards his school backpack. "Their still in my bag."  
  
"See? That wasn't so hard." Glancing down at his pants, a smirk inches its way on to my face and I add, "Or maybe it was."  
  
"Liz, why are you doing this to me?"  
  
"Gezzz Max, I thought you already understood the basic concept of why men get erections, maybe your not that good at biology after all." He quickly tries an escape attempt to get away from being pinned to the wall by me by sliding out to the left. Swiftly placing my hands on the wall either side of him I stop the getaway endeavor.  
  
"Ok, Ok, Max, why am I doing this to you? I. I-I." Stuttering I try and get the words out with little success. 'Don't crack now Liz, Don't crack! Grow a pair of brass balls if you have to, but don't lose that edge.'  
  
"I like you Max. I-I like you a lot. but I was never able to get together the nerve to tell you, now though, things are changing in my life, I'm changing, and I've learned the hard way why that saying 'seize the day' was even invented. It's desperately trying to tell you not to let opportunities for happiness to slip through you fingers. a-and. I-I." The words won't properly form on my tongue.  
  
'No, No, NO, to much, I didn't mean to say that much' I reason within my head.  
  
"Liz?" I hear Max say softly looking at me with an unreadable expression.  
  
Shaking my head side to side I realise I've let my guard slip. "I've got to get out of here." I say in small voice desperately wanting out of this room to try and collect myself I step backwards breaking eye contact with him I turn to flee.  
  
"Liz?" I hear him say, his voice cracked with emotion, just as I think I'm home free, just open the bedroom door and I'm out, I feel his arms suddenly rap around me from behind freezing me in my place. Slowly turning me around to face him with his arms still rapped around me I start to drown once again in his amber eyes. "I-I like you to Liz, a lot, I have ever since I first saw you in third grade, I just couldn't ever say anything to you. My life, it's too, complicated. I."  
  
Narrowing my eye's I feel emotions start to ice over once again as I realise what his trying to say. "Oh, is this the part where you say, sorry Liz, but I can't be with you. Talk about been there done that." I say mumbling the last part so he doesn't hear it.  
  
"You don't understand, you couldn't ever understand." He says more to himself than me, taking a step back he goes over to his window.  
  
"You'd be surprise at the things I can understand Max." I say harshly feeling fire and ice flow through my veins all at the same time.  
  
"We just can't be together, not even as friends, you wouldn't be safe with me." He continues to say to himself and me, running a hand through his dark hair a frown appear on his brow.  
  
"Strange, Michael seems to have no problems being friends with me Max." Strike one, that got his attention.  
  
"What are you talking about?" He says, a sharp edge entering his voice.  
  
"What haven't you heard? Me and Mikey are like old pals, but you? You can't even entertain the idea of us having a chance together, how screwed up is that? Out of the two of you the one who's been abused as a kid has less emotional issues."  
  
"How do you know that? He might be working at the Crashdown now but that doesn't mean his your friend, he doesn't make other friends."  
  
"Wake up call time, who'd you think spent hours talking him into asking your dad for help getting an emancipation? Who'd you think got him that job at the Crashdown to pay for his new apartment, an apartment which I helped him choose out, and which I will be helping him decorate this weekend. Address; 502 Powell Avenue, Roswell, NM. Phone number; (505) 555-0166  
  
And you say Michael and I aren't friends?"  
  
'Ok, maybe I took that one a little over the limit, coz Max is pretty much standing there like a statue. His eye's burning holes into mine, nope this not good.'  
  
"It's was true wasn't it?" His voice betraying his rage.  
  
"What's true?" I ask confused about what his talking about.  
  
"In the Crashdown that day when you broke up with Kyle, I actually believed afterward what you said about that just being joke what you did with Michael to get Kyle angry. But it wasn't! Was IT?"  
  
"What?!?! Max you've got to be kidding me, you actually think, me. and. Michael Guerin?" I can't help it, I know I shouldn't, but I can't help it, I crack up laughing. This does little to cool his anger and instead stokes it.  
  
"It's true isn't it? That's why you've been spending so much time with Michael and I've barely seen him the last week, you two are dating and this is just some twisted screwed up joke you two have decided to play on me."  
  
"No Max it isn't, gezzz I didn't expect your sanity to start slipping for at least another month, I guess my personality works wonders on others." I start to sober up when I realise he truly does believe that. "Max, when I told you I liked you earlier, liked you a lot, I meant it.."  
  
"No, if that was true you would of done that stunt in the Crashdown with me rather than Michael, in front of Kyle. Christ, I can't believe he'd do this to me, he knew how I felt about you, his always known, I thought he was my damn friend and he does this to me!"  
  
"Max, how many times do I have to say this."  
  
"NO! Liz, get out of here! Now!" He says fiercely turning towards the window again looking out of it blankly.  
  
"Fine, give me a call when you GROW UP Max."  
  
Spinning round to face the door I make quick exit from the room and it's overflowing amount of alien male testosterone. After saying goodbye to Mr and Mrs Evan's I start to walk home letting my fury boil for Max, 'How dare he be angry, I'm the only one with a right to be angry here', but suddenly as that thought enters my mind I come to a fast stop in my tracks as I realise something.  
  
"Oh My God, Michael's gonna kill me when he find out about this." 


	15. Sparks Will Fly

Previously  
  
"No, if that was true you would of done that stunt in the Crashdown with me rather than Michael, in front of Kyle. Christ, I can't believe he'd do this to me, he knew how I felt about you, his always known, I thought he was my damn friend and he does this to me!"  
  
"Max, how many times do I have to say this."  
  
"NO! Liz, get out of here! Now!" He says fiercely turning towards the window again looking out of it blankly.  
  
"Fine, give me a call when you GROW UP Max."  
  
Spinning round to face the door I make quick exit from the room and it's overflowing amount of alien male testosterone. After saying goodbye to Mr and Mrs Evan's I start to walk home letting my fury boil for Max, 'How dare he be angry, I'm the only one with a right to be angry here', but suddenly as that thought enters my mine I come to a fast stop in my tracks as I realise something.  
  
"Oh My God, Michael's gonna kill me when he find out about this."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Part 14b  
  
'This is bad,  
  
This is so bad,  
  
How could I fuck up so monumentally in such a short amount of time?' I wonder to myself as I continue to pace up and down along my balcony. 'It was going so well, everything I had planned was all falling into place then he decides to throw a spanner into the complex web that is my life! I mean, Michael?!?! What the hell is he on? I guess I shouldn't of pushed him so hard, eased up a bit on him. oh wait, Max and hardness. arh. bad thought, bad thought. go away when I'm trying to concentrate.'  
  
Letting out a defeated sigh I stop my pacing and go sit on the balcony wall. 'I'm gonna have to modify my game plan if Max is going to be this, this. difficult! I just hope Michael lives long enough for Max to realise I'm only interested in one alien life form in Roswell.'  
  
"Yo! Liz"  
  
My head snaps up at hearing Ava's voice as her head dips through my bedroom window to look at me. "Yeah?"  
  
"Nothin' just checkin' ya still with da land of da livin' cornball. Ya looked like ya woz seriously trippin' a sec ago."  
  
"Nah, just wallowing in self pity." I say turning my face away from her and looking down into the dark alley below and end up staring into the flickering bulb of one of the street lamps further away. I almost fall off the edge of the balcony in shock when what seems like a second later she appears by my side, thankfully she grabs my wrist before I topple over. "Hey, don't take no nose dive ta da pavement on my's account, remember dit's Zan who's tryin' ta avoid becomin' street pizza, not you."  
  
"Damn, how the hell did you get out that window so fast without me hearing you?" I ask trying to force my adrenalin levels back down by moving away from the edge and over to a chair.  
  
"Well for one, dit's pretty easy when ya zone out like som zombie, and two I grew up in the Big Rotten Apple remember, have ta learn how ta move smooth ta avoid da cops." She says with a shrug and comes to sit next to me.  
  
"I's heard som'where's misery luv's company, you's look's miserable and I's got nothin' better ta do, wanna spill what's baking in ya brain?"  
  
"It's nothing, I just pushed a button in Max I shouldn't of, now he thinks I'm 'involved' with Michael and kicked me out of his house."  
  
"Downer, why not just go ta the cornball king and do the horizontal tango wit' him? Boyz and da toy's like ta play, would make both of ya happy?"  
  
"Tempting as that sounds it would probably not be a good thing to go and try with Max at this moment in time. His really pissed and anyways I've already got our special 'first time' moment planned out."  
  
"Kay, but I's still think ya trippin' not doin' gridin' groin's wit him if ya can get dit girl."  
  
"I'll pass for now I think." I say with a grin.  
  
"Yo! Well now's dis touchin' bondin' moment is over I's hungry, wanna go scrounge up som grub from downstairs?"  
  
"I'll go down in a minute, just want to do some more thinking here."  
  
"Whatever." She says getting up and heading to the window. "but don't blame me if nothin's left after Zan and I get through wit it all." She turns and leaves, while I continue to ponder this situation between Max and I.  
  
Fate has a twisted sense of humor. because it's then I sense him, his close, and for a moment I wonder if I'm imagining it, but then I hear the tell tale sounds of a pair of feet climbing the ladder up my balcony. Then his head appears from over the edge, then his shoulders, then his chest, then his.. Oh, bad thoughts again.  
  
"Liz?" His looking at me now standing a few feet away, 'Did it suddenly get hot out here or is it is just me?'  
  
"Yep, that's my name last time I checked. Why is it you have decided to visit via my ladder, I mean you did just kick me out your house a couple of hours ago and all.?" I say curtly trying to keep my cool.  
  
"Liz. I-I w-wanted to apologize for the way I acted early. I was out of line, and I know that Michael would never be stupid enough to get involved with someone like you."  
  
"Pardon? Someone like me?" I say raising an eyebrow and trying to keep a pissed off look pinned to my face while inside wanting to crack up in laughter at Max's slip of the tongue and shocked expression of my interpretation of what he just said. 'Ok, I love seeing him sweat it out like this, I know he meant someone like me, as in of the human species, or at least I hope he did. Doesn't mean I'll let the comment slide.'  
  
"Urh, urm, I what I meant was, I-I. damn this is all going wrong, I had everything I was going to say planned out in my head."  
  
"No kidding."  
  
"Liz," He mumbles, giving me the puppy dog eyes look. "I just wanted to say I was sorry. and that."  
  
"Shhh.." I say to him, enjoying the moment I get up and walk over to him wrapping my arms around his neck I decide to tease him a little bit more by leaning forward and brushing my lips across his cheek.  
  
"Liz. please." He says sounding desperate, after a few moments he tries to pull away. 'Ha, nice try.' I seal my lips over his in a gentle kiss and feel the tension slowly start to dissipate. As the intensity of the kiss increases all I can focus on is his warm breath and scorching flesh. My mind can't concentrate clearly as our tongues duel fiercely.  
  
'This isn't meant to be happening, stick to the plan.' I argue with myself, but I carry on anyway as his strong arms wrap themselves tighter around my slim body, and he delves deeper into my mouth, tasting every little bit of me sucking gently on the tip of my tongue.  
  
The intensity of everything becomes too much, and that's when the first flash hits, and I see stars, stars so beautiful and bright, the ones I thought I might never see again.  
  
But this isn't meant to be happening, I'm not meant to be doing this, I'm meant to be in control, a control that is slowly slipping away and..  
  
"YO! Liz! Ava say's 'ta get ya but down ta da kitchen now, ya too bony and need ta eat more'." I quickly break away from the kiss at hearing the voice approaching and panic. "Personally I's think ya figure is just fine, especially dat tight cute rear of yours." Zan's sentence fades off when he reaches the window and sees I'm not alone, and the look that replaces his previously blank expression can only described as disgust when he realizes it's Max I'm with.  
  
Ok, there are many ways in which a girl can handle this situation, but lets just sort all my thoughts out first before I have a nervous break down and am left running round like a chicken with it's head chopped off:  
  
Shit! Why the fuck does stuff like this happen to me, my karma in a previous life can't be that bad!  
  
Max seems kind of pissed by the statement Zan made about my cute rear.  
  
Zan seems kind of pissed full stop.  
  
Why do I feel like I'm trapped inside a bad version of 'Sunset Beach' all of a sudden?  
  
Snapping back to reality I realise Zan's climbed out of the window and is now in a face off with Max who's standing on the other side of the balcony. For a spilt second I freak at Max asking me why I have someone with his face staying with me, that is until I realise Zan's done that thing again that stops you from recognizing him as Max's dupe. They continue to stand there watching each over not making a move, a sort of loathing between the two blossoming instantly.  
  
Both tense.  
  
Both pissed.  
  
Both looking like their willing to carry on this macho pissing contest till the end of time.  
  
Just when you think you've hit rock bottom, an alien throws you a shovel. Getting up quickly I walk between the two breaking their eye contact, suppressing a nervous tremor I look at each of them.  
  
"Urm. Max. this is Zan,  
  
Zan. this is Max."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"For Christ Sake! I'm up already! Quit banging my door down!" Michael yells while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and walking towards the door in only his boxers. 'God please don't let this be Max. anyone but Max.' I say in a silent prayer to whatever deity is listening.  
  
When I open the door though, what's behind it is soooo much more worse than an enraged Evan's.  
  
"Maria DeLuca, what do you want?"  
  
"YOU!" She says pointing a finger right in my face causing me to take a step back. "HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO!" By this time she's already in my apartment and has slammed my door shut. "And I have decided your going to do that explaining right now!" Folding her arms, the small blond looks up at me through narrowed eyelids and I find myself having to choke back the impulse to laugh in her face.  
  
"Well since you put it so nicely. NO! Get the hell out of my apartment!" I say motioning to the door, before turning and walking towards the kitchen.  
  
"Oh No you don't! Don't you dare think your gonna pull that with me Guerin," She declares following in my wake. "You tell me what the hell you and Liz are up to?"  
  
"What do you mean 'up to'? Liz got me a job, that's all, I helped her fix up that basement and am now a cook at the Crashdown."  
  
"Don't you dare insult my intelligence by expecting me to believe that, Liz has been acting strange, really strange and you know something about it, and now those two freaks turn up in the Crashdown, one of them Liz insists is her cousin? If Liz had a punk cousin from New York, then I'd know!"  
  
"Oh DeLuca, I wouldn't Dare insult your intelligence, you do a good enough job of doing that all by yourself."  
  
"Moron, Tell Me What's Going On With My Best Friend!" She says stamping her feet as she walks over to me. 'I won't step back away from her, I won't back down.' I pep talk myself. 'I'm Michael Guerin, and will not lose to her in my own territory. No matter how cute she looks when she's pissed.. Waiiiiiiiit.. Cute? Where the hell did that come from, she's not cute, she could put the shrew in Shakespeare's play to shame, she is Not Cute!' Why the hell do I like her only being a few inches away from me then?  
  
"You better tell me what I want to know if you know what's good for you." She says tipping her head up to look me in the eye, and I've got to admit it, she's got spunk.  
  
"Did you forgot to take your medication or is it just that time of the month DeLuca?" I say smirking as her cheeks flame red with anger and she takes a step even closer to me. I can smell the strange but nice sent of citrus and herbs drift off her.  
  
"You simpering Neanderthal! Tell me what I want to know or else!"  
  
"Or else what?" I say now thoroughly enjoying myself watching her get more and more pissed off.  
  
"Or else I'll. I'll."  
  
"You'll what?" I taunt.  
  
"I'll." Then before I know it her lips are on mine. The shock only lasts a couple of seconds before instinct takes over and I rap my arms around her waist, then she raps her arms around my neck, I pull her closer to me, she kisses me more fiercely. Then, just as soon as it started, it stops and she breaks away from the kiss and me, quickly making a beeline for the front door and exiting.  
  
While I continue to stand there in the middle of the kitchen with a dumb goofy grin on my face, still partially in shock at what happened, with only one thought currently penetrating the haze of my mind.  
  
'She tasted like peppermint.'  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
".So since my cousin decided come visit me, she also brought her boyfriend Zan along as well, their going to be staying for a while here." At this point I really have no idea if either of them are even listening to a word I've said so far. The death stares their sending each other getting more intense with every passing moment.  
  
"Zan, Hey?" I say and wave my hand trying to get his attention.  
  
Breaking the starting contest with Max he looks over to me and raises a pierced eyebrow. "Yeah?"  
  
"Why don't you go back downstairs and tell Ava I'll be down in a minute, Kay?"  
  
"Whatever." He says sounding cranky at being dismissed and climes through the window giving me one backward glance before heading through my bedroom door and downstairs.  
  
Turning back to Max I see him staring at me with an intense look. "I don't like him Liz."  
  
"No kidding Max, like I couldn't tell from the death glares you was sending each other."  
  
"There's something about him that's not right, keep away from him."  
  
"Max, Your Not My Keeper, his a guest in my home, and unlike you I don't kick guests out." That hit's him where it hurts, the arrogance is quickly replaced with a guilty look.  
  
"Yeah. like I was saying Liz, I'm sorry about that. I-I was just really wound up and snapped out at you. I'm sorry about acting the way I did, it's just. well what you've been doing to me over the last week has been out of line too!  
  
Y-You shouldn't have done the things you did."  
  
"I didn't hear you complaining when I was helping you with that hard problem of yours a few days ago." I say with a smirk.  
  
"That's What I Mean Liz. Even comments like that. I'll admit I like you Liz, I like you a lot. Your like a drug to me and I'm addicted to you, but I. we. it just wouldn't work, I can't be with you. my life's just to complex.."  
  
"Max, I."  
  
"NO LIZ, Listen to what I have to say already! I can't keep doing this anymore, your driving me insane, I haven't even been able to sleep properly for the last few days because of you and. and, whatever this game is that your playing with me. I want you to stop Now!  
  
No more coming round my house uninvited, no more speaking with my parents, no more suggestive comments.. or actions. I just can't do it Liz. Believe me when I say your better off with someone else. Someone who can give you a normal life."  
  
Turning his back to me he walks over to the edge of the balcony and hops over the side on to the ladder, pausing for a moment he looks back up at me and mumbles, "Just 'please' stay away from me." Then he continues his descent down the ladder.  
  
And me?  
  
My reaction to all this?  
  
Well, after about several minuets of standing there like a statue I managed to close the gaping hole in my head called my mouth, as the shock of Max so clearly rejecting me starts to wear off and a simmering rage starts to take its place my mental functions switch on again.  
  
'HE, actually has the nerve to say that to me? To tell me to leave him alone and stay out of his life? Thinks he can just get erase me like chalk off a black board?'  
  
The anger spreads through me like a wave, pulsating through my blood as I continue to stare at the empty space he was standing.  
  
'I've been rejected by Maxwell Evan's on this balcony in both time lines now, aren't I just the lucky one.' I brood over, as the atmosphere around me seems to become thicker and heavier. The air begins to crackle with energy, but I pay no notice to it as my eyes continue to stare transfixed on the last place I saw him.  
  
The heat in my veins reaches its boiling point at the thought of being tossed away by him like trash for a second time.  
  
Then something 'Snaps' inside me.  
  
The crackling sound sharpens and suddenly all the coloured fairy light bulbs around me burst, the glass making a tinkling sound as it falls on to the ground, like a wave it spreads and I hear lights in my room follow suit with a crackle and shatter of glass. Only when several of the streetlights also rupture do I get snapped out of my stupor.  
  
'Hell hath no fury compared to an enraged Liz.'  
  
(Oh, and before you ask, yes Max did also get flashes from Liz when he kissed her and was completely freaked by them, this was the real reason for him to tell her to stay away and he doesn't know Liz also got flashes.  
  
Stay tuned folks.) 


	16. Sneak Preview

(sneak preview, yes I am still alive.)

"Yo! Whoz turned da light's out?"

"I dunno. Wer yous screwin' around wit your power's again?"

"Why do you always blame me when somethin' goes wrong wit ele'trics?"

"Four years ago. New York blackout – lasted twenty four hours. And a smoked salmon – that wasn't smoked anymore."

"Hey! There were extenduatin' circumstances!"

"You frinkin' fried the bastard."

"Dat's an exaggeration."

"It woz crispy! And took the rest of da city with it to it char grilled grave."

"Ok, forget the fricking salmon!"

"Why you brought the salmon up? Can't handle the crit? Whimp."

"I did not bring it up, youz did. Now drop the bloody salmon."

"Well done."

"Wat?"

"Drop the well done salmon."

Thunk

"What the hell Xan?!?"

"Did it hit ya?"

"No."

"Keep talkin' then Ava. Keep talkin'."

"Kay, Kay, fuck. Cool it will ya? Didn't mean ta get ya panties in a twist."

CRASH

"Fuck!" "Hell!" "Aaah" "Move!"

"What happen'?"

"Fricking tripped over the table."

"No fucking kiddin' – and wat am I? A crash mat."


End file.
